Reunite: Revisited
by ObscureUsername
Summary: Aqua, after ten years in the Dark Realm, reunites with someone and changes the fate of the worlds. Spoilers for Birth by Sleep, 358/2 Days, and Kingdom Hearts II. XemAqua, TerAqua. T for voilence and language.
1. Chapter 1: Aqua

Hey, It's me. This is a remake of an older story, which was one of my favorite stories of all time. I'm really enjoying doing this, but I don't own the characters! R&R appreciated. Thank you.

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Aqua sat down and dangled her legs off the edge of the dark pathway. She doubted that the road ever lead to light, but she still followed it after all these years. The bends that seemed to flow away into oblivion had become visible to her, and she saw that the path continued on for miles ahead.

As her thoughts gradually filled her mind, her eyes slowly closed, no doubt to another sleepless night.

An unusual sound roused Aqua from her rest. She flipped up fully onto the road, arms in a defensive stance, as a black-cloaked figure emerge from a dark corridor. Aqua was alarmed; the coat was very similar to the one Master Xehanort had worn. Without thinking, Aqua rushed the person and slammed her forearm into his neck. The stranger fell, but when he came close to the ground, he caught himself and pushed off one hand onto his feet.

He was obviously very strong to survive a blow like that and still stand strongly. Aqua growled and charged again, this time throwing her entire weight into the stranger's torso. They both went down, and Aqua, being on top, heard the man coughing and struggling to breathe, the wind knocked from him. She crawled over him and, on hands and knees, gingerly removed the hood from his face.

And the face behind it was all too familiar.

"Terra?"

The man gasped in a breath and looked at Aqua through golden eyes. He tried to speak, but only coughed violently.

"Terra..." Aqua smiled and gently hugged him, being careful not to crush him beneath her weight. He felt cold, and his breathing was slowly becoming normal, loud in her ear.

"Aqua..." His voice was deep and musical.

Aqua, teary-eyed, helped her newfound friend stand up. "It's been so long..."

"Since when?"

Aqua's bittersweet smile faltered for a moment, but only a moment. "Since we parted ways," she said to keep it simple. "Don't act like you don't remember."

"There's nothing to pretend," her friend said, his brows furrowing sadly. "I know your name, but, I don't know you."

"Of course you know me," Aqua protested, grasping desperately to that last shred of hope. "We were Keyblade warriors together."

"I don't have a Keyblade," the silvernette said with longing subtly present in his voice. "I never did."

"Drop the act," Aqua ordered, voice wavering. "You're not fooling anyone."

"I'm not acting."

Aqua felt tears well up in her eyes, making vision blurry. "I've walked so far... I was gonna... I forgot what I was gonna say!" She collapsed to her knees and sobbed, burying her face in her hands. The first friend in however long, and he can't even remember her!

Dimly, she heard fabric shifting as her friend kneeled beside her and felt his firm, gloved hand on her back. "Aqua, please, don't cry like that," he whispered soothingly. "A Keyblade master shouldn't cry like that."

Aqua sniffed and looked up into the caring eyes of the man. "Y-You know that I'm a Keyblade master?" she asked in a voice raw from crying.

The man nodded and averted his eyes. "I...know who you are, but I don't know why." It was his turn to help her up.

Aqua took advantage of this moment and tugged the zipper of his jacket roughly down. Underneath was the same outfit, but no armor or red straps. The bottoms of his hamakas were tucked into black boots.

The man removed her hand from his chest and re-zipped the coat. "Why would you do that?" he asked firmly, hand still closed around hers.

"Those are Terra's clothes," Aqua said incredulously. "Do I need any more proof?"

Her friend frowned. "Those can't be his clothes." He sighed. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay here any longer." He began to back away from her, his hand letting go, hesitating, then finally releasing her. He turned away and briskly walked off.

Aqua knew it was dark out and this wasn't remotely similar, but all that went through her mind was that day in the Radiant Garden, watching Terra walk away from her, never to be the same again.

"Wait!" she shouted, and ran after him. He stopped and turned towards her as she ran closer and all but crashed into him. He was prepared for it this time, so he didn't fall, just took a step back to stabilize himself.

"I can't stay here any longer," Aqua cried, looking up at his surprised face. "I need to see the worlds again! If you're not Terra, I want to go look for him!"

The man's eyes lit up. "I can do that for you." He held out his hands and a dark corridor opened.

Aqua smiled. "Thank you, Terra."

"Xemnas," the silvernette corrected her.

"Xemnas."

They both walked into the corridor together.

Aqua was used to the darkness by now, but the corridor was another thing entirely. After about ten steps in, she gasped and stopped when a sharp pain went through her chest. A freezing sense of terror dripped through her. The silence was eerie and dark, and she could almost hear the cackling voices of monsters in the corner of her mind. She could feel their cold claws running up and down her back, and she feared they would grab her and drag her into a nightmare far worse than the one she just escaped.

But then Xemnas opened his coat and brought one side around her. All feelings of darkness disappeared. She stood up, pressing herself against his flank, and walked with him. She later learned that corridors of darkness corrupt hearts.

They reached the other end of the corridor and stepped out onto a wide, flat area below the castle Aqua had seen from the Radiant Garden. It was different, though, with many twisted copper towers of pipe and machinery constructed into it.

Xemnas removed his coat from around her and zipped it up. "This way." He led her through a series of hallways to a private study, where a picture of someone resembling Xemnas, but with straighter, white hair hung on the wall. He pulled a switch down and an entire wall disappeared, much to Aqua's surprise, revealing a cold, grey steel hallway.

"Come."

Aqua continued to follow Xemnas to a glass catwalk overlooking an enormous chasm filled with large, empty-glass tubes and machinery that continued farther than her eyes could see. "What is it?" she asked incredulously.

"The Heartless Manufactory," Xemnas said grimly. "My fellow apprentices and I constructed it ourselves." He proceeded to an antechamber with glass windows.

Aqua, not expecting more of an answer, went in after him, seeing a dusty metal counter lining the windows overlooking the Manufactory, on which a large computer was mounted. On the opposite wall was a large, circular device with many half-circles making it up. "What's that?" Aqua asked with a little unease.

"Matter-to-Data Converter," Xemnas told her. "If you don't want that, don't touch the keyboard after me."

Aqua nodded and waited patiently as Xemnas inserted a disk and typed some things into the computer. After a moment, there was a resounding click and a door on the far side of the room slid open with a hiss.

Before Aqua could say anything, Xemnas eagerly grabbed her wrist and led her quickly down a flight of stairs to the Manufactory floor. A passage was open at the bottom.

Aqua tore her hand with some effort from Xemnas' grip before he could proceed down the spiral staircase there. "I want you to tell me what's going on," she said.

Xemnas nodded. "This is very important for you to see," he said. "I can't exactly explain why, but, just follow me." He gestured to her, and they both went the tedious walk down the stairway to a metal door chained shut. Xemnas put his hand on a protruding panel and the door rose with the mechanical whine of a motor. Others doors similarly rigged opened as well, and they proceeded down the long hall to an ornate white door.

"We're here," Xemnas whispered, then pushed it open.

Aqua found herself standing in a round monochrome room decorated with lines, chains and unusual symbols. The atmosphere had an odd quality that made it even quieter than it could possibly have been, and Aqua felt that if she spoke, she would have no voice. There was a throne in the very center, and parallel to it was a chained platform holding two extraordinary things; Aqua's armor and Keyblade, Rainstorm.

"My god," Aqua whispered and ran over to her possessions, which seemed oddly out of place here. She held the Keyblade just to hold it, and she ran her hands along the armor, blessing it and saying many joyful things. Blissful tears ran down her things as she reclaimed these lost necessities, and when she was done, she turned to Xemnas, smiling broadly.

Xemnas smirked. "You're welcome." He stood straight. "I thought I'd return it."

"So you know why you have this?" Aqua asked, hoping for another wonderful miracle.

"I apologize, but no," the silvernette muttered. He suddenly grabbed his head in one hand and groaned. The other hand joined it's brother there and Xemnas fell to his knees, moaning in pain.

Aqua ran over to him, concerned by this display of pain, but he was already on the floor by the time she got there.

xxx

_He is fighting a monster in a blue courtyard with - and -, sliding nimbly under the blasts of energy fired by it. He touches -'s hand as he goes past - and smiles reassuringly as he strikes down another piece. Skidding to a halt, he powers up another attack and feels the fire of courage explode through his veins as he works with them to bring down this monster._

He is watching himself fight -, watching with hope that his other self will use the latent powers in his heart to win. This power will weaken him, make him easier to claim and use. He is sure that this will be the case, because - is a very strong fighter, and - won't give up until -'s been critically wounded. And he will have to give in sooner or later.

xxx

Xemnas slowly opened his eyes at the sound of someone calling to him from far away...no, close nearby. He blinked once, twice to focus his vision and looked up at the pleasant face now filled with worry.

"Xemnas!" Aqua said. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Xemnas said.

"What happened?"

"Images," Xemnas muttered. "They come to me here, when I sleep. They never come in waking." He sat up and rubbed the right side of his face, around his eye, beneath the back of his jaw. "Images of...people. Places." He sighed and stood with Aqua. "We should go now." He opened a dark corridor.

Aqua refused to go in. "I can travel myself now," she explained. "And, I need to take care of something."

Xemnas nodded. "Go on. I'm sure we'll cross paths again."

Aqua didn't move, just looked sadly over at him. "Xemnas, one thing before you go." When he didn't move, she approached. "Remember me."

Xemnas found himself smirking at her. "How could I forget you, Aqua?" And then he frowned in regret. He didn't remember her. He quickly turned away from her and dashed through the corridor.


	2. Chapter 2: Creperum

Hey there! Things start getting a little tense here. I disclaim all characters. R&R appreciated. Thank you.

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Aqua jumped off her Rider and dismissed it. As she walked down the small road she removed her armor as well. An ominous and almost dreadful feeling entered her gut as she came closer to the doors of the building. Even if she had been here before, this building intimidated her. Much had changed in the years she was gone, and Castle Oblivion would be no exception.

She took a breath to bolster herself and pushed open the heavy door with painful effort. When it was just enough for her to enter, she did so quickly and ran to the second set of lighter doors just inside.

The interior was much plainer than the Chamber of Repose. Everything was dominantly white. The brightness irritated Aqua's eyes as she sped through the halls. Where was it? Where was he? Everything looked the same here; every door, every room, every damn flowerpot that she passed as she rushed by. It felt like a circle, like the fifth door connected to the first, and she was running hopelessly through a ring with no curves she was beginning to grow sick of it when-

She came to a wide, panoramic window overlooking the blackness that encircled Castle Oblivion.

Aqua let out a huff of breath flavored with dry saliva as she placed her hand on the cool glass. The room she was in had a plain and- how surprising- white table surrounded by matching chairs in the center. That was a change. Both doors were on the wall parallel to the window. One had an odd symbol where the knobs should have been.

Aqua sighed. The Castle apparently didn't want her to find the Chamber, whatever that meant. That was how it was made; nobody could find the Chamber but her.

She approached the second door and put her hand on the seal. Suddenly, the window exploded inward and an unearthly roar shook the room. Aqua shielded her face with her arms. Shattered pieces of glass sliced her flesh. She moved her arms down and looked at the thing that had gone through the window.

It was black and green, with a long orange mane and teal thorns wrapped around its body. Its long claws were red. It glared at her and roared again. Aqua instinctively drew her Keyblade, and was just in time to block a strong slash. The creature hissed and drew back, out of the window. Aqua allowed herself to relax and pulled some glass out of her arms and legs.

Just when she thought it was safe, the creature came back, slamming it's entire weight into the wall. Aqua ducked under it and hit it once, twice, thrice. She slid to a stop some distance away. The beast lifted itself and touched the place where her blows had connected. Black liquid dripped from the wounds to the pristine white floor. It stood up, shackles rattling, and slashed at Aqua's legs. Aqua leaped over it and ran up the arm, dragging her Keyblade behind her.

But then the creature did something unexpected. It reared back and smashed itself into the back wall, throwing Aqua off. While she was down, it kicked her into the left wall and then was invisible. Aqua rose, coughing, and strained her eyes for the beast. There it was! A shifting shape like summer heat, coming closer to her. She struck it three times, then let out a burst of magical power. The beast, visible again, was sent flying and crashed into the table, destroying it.

It rose again and roared, shaking the castle. It struck the ceiling, clawed hand crashing through, and threw a huge chunk at Aqua. She put up her Barrier. The chunk hit it and broke apart into smaller pieces, but the majority went through and crashed right into her. The breath exploded from her lungs and she crumpled against the stone, struggling to breathe. She felt like vomiting, but she was better than that.

It was hard to see the monster's claw through the cloud of dust until it crashed down an inch shy of her arm, digging into the stone. The jarring of its bones was audible. Aqua cringed, imagining how painful that would be. But there was no time to feel pity. She covered her Keyblade and fire and struck the arm, scraping away muscle. The creature screeched and retracted its arm.

The dust cleared and Aqua leapt at the monster's head, striking down with her flaming weapon and stabbing its shoulder instead. It hissed and spun a quick circle to throw her off, then while she was airborne slammed her harshly through the ceiling.

A moment of reprieve. Aqua stood up and briskly healed herself, grunting and groaning at the temporary pain of realigning bones. The slice wounds from the claws and broken glass closed up.

As soon as it began, the moment ended. The beast exploded through the outside wall, roaring and flailing its claws. Aqua leaped away from it, time slowing down as her adrenaline kicked in. The monster looked different. Its mane was a brighter orange, its claws were darker red, its thorns blue rather than teal. There were a lot more wounds on it, even a missing eye. Another one! Could this day get any worse?

There was someone holding tight to the new one's shackles, though. It was... Xemnas!

Time sped up again and Aqua brought her blade down into the beast's back. It roared and did an acrobatic flip, nearly crushing her under its weight. Xemnas hadn't lost his grip, and now he had been slammed into the floor. Aqua slid out from under the creature as it rose, hissing. There was something wet on her back. Aqua touched it and looked at the black, oily blood now covering her hand. She gripped her Keyblade and heard an odd squelching noise as the air beneath her hands bubbled out in the liquid.

Xemnas was on top of the monster, holding open its jaws with his gloved hands. A greyish energy pulsed forth and the monster was surrounded by monochrome thorns. It shrieked and roared and finally broke free. Xemnas noticed Aqua and gave a small grin to reassure her.

Then, of course, came the threat from below.

Aqua screamed when red claws burst through the floor, crunching and crumbling the material which she was standing on. What to do? She took a deep breath and swung at one of the claws, snapping it in two. Black blood burst out of the quick and the monster shrieked and attacked more fiercely. The one-eyed beast seemed to have the upper hand against an unarmed Xemnas. Why wouldn't he use some kind of weapon? Gaia Bane? Chaos Reaper? Anything!

Just then, the One-eye slashed Xemnas in midair, and the silvernette was slammed brutally into the wall. He slumped down. He must have had a quick death, because he wasn't bleeding at all.

Aqua screamed savagely and leapt at One-eye, viciously driving Rainstorm through its bottom jaw, roof of its mouth, and the crown of its skull. It fell and faded in a burst of dark energy. Feeling tears, Aqua ran over to Xemnas. This couldn't be happening. She took his body in her arms and embraced him. "This can't be happening..."

A firm hand grabbed her shoulder. "Now's not the time."

Aqua felt as though she had been winded, and was limp as a rag doll as Xemnas pushed her off and rose to meet the challenge of the teal-thorned creature whose claws were lodged through the floor. That blow should've killed him... He wasn't bleeding!

"Aqua, focus. I can't defeat this one alone." It was Xemnas. For the first time, she noticed the black streaks of dark blood in his hair, his ragged breathing, the way he leaned forward and his entire frame shook with each rattling breath. "We're fighting Dark Thorns right now, and if you don't get over the shock, you'll never see it coming."

Aqua nodded and rose shakily to her feet. She could ask questions later.

Suddenly the teal Thorn burst through the floor, roaring. Xemnas wrapped his hand in part of the mane as the monster burst through the floor, and he clambered up onto its shoulders. Aqua cartwheeled away from a sideways slash and shot a blast of ice at the Thorn. It hissed and brought its left hand the frozen wound. Aqua saw the ligaments moving on its right arm as the claws twitched.

"Keep it distracted!"

Xemnas.

Aqua nodded and set a Detonator Square. The Thorn stepped on a mine and shrieked in pain as electricity coursed up its foot. Aqua slashed it multiple times with a flame-coated Keyblade, waiting for Xemnas to enact whatever he was planning. The Thorn stepped on another mine.

Xemnas jumped down from it, dangerously close to a mine. Aqua tried to warn him, but he took a step backwards onto it. He yelled in pain and fell to his knees, body slumped forward, stunned. Aqua sighed and threw her Keyblade at the beast. It embedded itself in the Thorn's chest. The monster screamed and roared and collapsed, fading in a similar burst as its comrade.

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Little cliffhanger there... please, stick around for the next chapter! Sorry, European/American players if some of these terms are unfamiliar to you. I use the Japanese terms for these because they're what I first got used to.

Gaia Bane= Ends of the Earth, Chaos Reaper= Chaos Ripper, Rainstorm= Stormfall, Detonator Square= Mine Square.


	3. Chapter 3: Meditatus

Thanks for staying tuned! This chapter's a little different. Disclaiming characters now. R&R appreciated. Thank you.

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Aqua ran over to Xemnas as the Detonator Square faded. "C'mon, get up," she said as she shook his shoulders. She groaned when he fell forward onto her. He was probably unconscious. She should've healed him before this. He had more injuries than she could possibly count, some much worse than others. It could be a while before he woke up.

"Dammit." She held his head against her chest with both arms, trying to think of what to do. She'd never lifted someone like him, and now wasn't the time to learn.

_"Aqua..."_

Aqua jittered a little. It was Xemnas who had spoken. "Xemnas?"

_"I'm here... Aqua..." _Xemnas mumbled. _"...save me..."_

Aqua whispered, "Terra?"

Nothing after that. She lifted Xemnas slowly up, surprised by his weight. It was all muscle, apparently. Holding him as tightly as possible, she jumped down into the lower room and summoned her Rider. She carefully set Xemnas down so she could convoke her armor, then heaved him up again with added strength. She stepped onto the Rider, leaning him slightly against the handlebars, holding the rest of his weight against the breast of her armor. He should be able to survive the Lanes Between, if he didn't have a heart, which she now figured since she felt no pulse in him but knew he was alive.

About a mile into the Lanes, she knew this for certain.

"Aqua, you're hugging my head."

Aqua nearly capsized the Rider, she was so surprised. Xemnas' voice was faint, yet clear. "X-Xemnas!"

Normally strong but now weak arms wrapped themselves around Aqua's armored neck as Xemnas used her steadfast form to support himself. "Where are we?"

"I'm surprised you don't remember," Aqua remarked. "These are the Lanes Between. They're like dark corridors."

"Oh," Xemnas whispered. "Take me to the World That Never Was, on the edge of the Dark Realm. It's not easy to miss." His legs wobbled and nearly gave out.

Aqua nodded and turned in that direction. Xemnas was right. The towering white castle and monstrous city could be seen by a blind man. She flew in and touched down in an empty alleyway, dismissing her armor and Rider as she did so. Xemnas leaned on her as they walked out onto the road.

"One thing, before you leave me," Xemnas said. Aqua turned to look at him. He slowly moved his wet hand to her neck and held it there. In his eye were conflicting expression of fear and anger and satisfaction, and his hand gently flexed. Aqua felt worry being born in her gut as she felt his strong fingers clench and release against her neck. And then, his face changed drastically and he said, "I can't do it!" He let go of Aqua and staggered down the road. _"Leave now!"_

Aqua did so, but it wasn't long before she saw Xemnas collapse again.

xxx

He had been searching for about twelve hours, down in the dark, rainy city, his hair plastered to his neck and face, his clothing soaked through and through, his own boots squelching and squeaking with each step he took, and he still hadn't found the Superior.

The Superior did have a habit of wandering off during normal, mundane times, and always coming back brooding and closed off from inquiries. Sometimes, if he didn't come back, Saix himself would go into the Dark City to retrieve him. Never had it taken this long to locate him. Usually, he would stand off to the side and watch as the supreme Nobody destroyed countless Heartless effortlessly, with sweeping, acrobatic movements powered by pure nothingness. It was quite impressive to watch, even for a Nobody like himself.

But now, on this backwater street, Saix wanted to give up and return to the Castle for warmth and fresh clothing. But this was his duty. He turned a corner and nearly jumped out of his skin.

The Superior was laying prone on the ground, legs splayed and arm outstretched. He was brutally injured, his coat ravaged, his hair stained with dark blood, small cuts visible on his unusually pale face. The worst part was the way his eyes were open, the pupils a milky white color and unseeing. Through the throng of Heartless he could see his Superior's broad chest rising and falling slowly and shallowly.

Saix shooed the darkness away and lifted the silvernette, left arm beneath his knees and right arm supporting his upper body. He opened a dark corridor and rushed through to the Superior's pristine room, where there was a panoramic window viewing Kingdom Hearts and a dresser displaying an unusual black Keyblade. He gently set down the Superior and took off his jacket, shirt, boots, and pants. The wounds were worse than he thought. Some looked fatal. Saix cast a powerful Cure spell on the silvernette, watching the wounds close up. But the Superior was still unconscious, his depthless eyes just slits that seemed to stare through wall and world into an endless void of dark oblivion.

Saix lifted the Nobody into the perfectly smooth bed and placed him under the covers, then quickly left the room.

xxx

Aqua pulled into the desolate world, leaping off her Rider and sliding ungracefully to a stop, getting her armor coated in dust. She dismissed the traveling gear and looked around at the lifeless earth, the cloudless blue sky, and the many rows of dusty Keyblades, all stuck into the ground, handles up. Aqua shivered and walked past them uneasily, as though their wielders would return in ghostly forms and continue the monstrous battle that had caused so much destruction. She didn't like this place; she never had.

She ascended to the rocky plateau which held a strange aura of grief and misery, and knew by the out-of-place scratches and gashes in the rock that this was the place. She passed an outcropping and saw what she was looking for.

The armor was sitting at the base of a butte, helmet facing downward as though looking at the ground, hands wrapped tightly around Gaia Bane. It was dusty and looked as though it had seen a year too many, with rust on the joints and a visor that couldn't possibly have been seen out of, it was so covered in blown sandy rock.

Aqua took a deep breath to bolster herself, then ran forward to the armor. "Terra!" she shouted at it.

The armor creaked loudly as it broke free of the rust that held its joints stiff and jerkily rose to its feet, much taller than Aqua. Inhuman rumbles rose from its chest. _"A..qua...?" _It attempted to wipe the visor, but did little but hurt Aqua's ears with loud scraping noises.

"Yes, Terra," Aqua smiled and wiped the visor with her own hand, getting them light brown with a layer of grit. "It's me."

The armor lifted its arms with some effort, the right gauntlet still gripped around the oversized Keyblade, and broke its fingers free of the rust. _"A..qua..." _It embraced her suddenly, one arm around her back, the other holding the back of her head, pressing her skull to its shoulder. The grip was ungentle, but not painful.

Aqua reached around the armor and embraced it, feeling dirt stain her clothes and skin. "I'm so glad to see you again..."

Suddenly, the Sentiment tensed and drew back from her, Gaia Bane at the ready. _"Xeha..nort..." _It searched around, patiently scanning the entire plateau.

Aqua's eyes widened. The Sentiment has scented Xemnas on her. She took a step away from it, but it grabbed her arm and drew her against its chest, free arm wrapped defensively around her. _"Be careful..." _it warned her, _"Xeha..nort...is near..."_

Aqua remembered how the Sentiment wasn't truly Terra, but Terra's hatred for Xehanort. It had few memories other than those right before its creation. Was it a grave mistake coming here?

No. The Sentiment released her. _"Want to...practice?" _it asked.

Aqua shrugged and smiled. "Why not?" She summoned her armor and Rainstorm, and the fight began.

xxx

Xemnas knew something was wrong whenever he collapsed in the street.

He couldn't tell if he was dreaming or if he was really being found by Saix, because many things passed that faded from his memory. He was being lifted, then suddenly he was in the Betwixt and Between, then he was in his bed, head turned to face the wall opposite the window. He couldn't move, not even twitch his toes or fingers or even his eyelids, like he had died and his soul chose to lurk in his disconnected body.

He was aware of the soft click as Saix shut the door as he left, and then time faded into obscurity. He could have been there for years, and it would have felt like mere minutes. This state of half-consciousness gave him time to think through the events of the day.

After leaving the Chamber of Repose, he had wandered the worlds for a while, trying to figure out why Aqua was so familiar to him. In another dark corridor, he had heard a voice, the sound of which he couldn't recall, beckoning him to Castle Oblivion. There, he had been attacked by two Dark Thorns and had finally defeated them with Aqua's help. The rest was blank for a while, and then he awoke in the Lanes Between with Aqua, and after that, tried to kill her...

_...again._

xxx

Aqua kneeled down on the ground, panting heavily, and removed her helmet so she could cool down. The Sentiment must have been training; it had so many skills and moves that Terra hadn't.

"You...cheater," she said playfully between pants. "You're not even...tired!"

The armor made a sound reminiscent of a laugh. _"Yeah...but..." _It raised a hand and touched its right shoulder. The entire arm, still holding Gaia Bane, fell to the ground and broke into individual pieces.

Aqua yelled and ran over, picking up the pieces and telling the Sentiment that she would fix the arm quickly, and that she was very sorry. The armor watched her curiously. Suddenly, the pieces escaped Aqua's grasp and reconstituted onto the Sentiment.

Aqua gaped. "Why didn't you tell me about that?"

_"You didn't...give me...time..."_

Aqua laughed. "I guess I didn't."

The rest of their day went like that, chasing each other around the plateau. Aqua managed to break the Sentiment free of its ten years of accumulated rust and dirt until she felt tired and ready for a shower in a hotel.

Then, as she was leaving, the Sentiment spoke again.

_"Thank you for visiting...Aqua...feel free to return..."_

"I will," Aqua said, and then flew into the Lanes Between.


	4. Chapter 4: Infitialis

Thanks for sticking with Reunite: Revisited! Once again, I don't own _any_ of these characters. This is a fanfiction website, after all, R&R appreciated. Thank you.

* * *

•~Three Days Forward~•

Xemnas blinked slowly and ran his tongue along the roof of his dry mouth, savoring the feel of this newfound consciousness. He stretched his arms backwards until he was sure the shoulder blades would touch, then brought them forward again to stretch his triceps. The wonderful feeling of flowing energy penetrated farther through his body with each refreshing movement.

Then he realized he could _see _each muscle tightening and loosening. Saix must have taken off his wet clothes. Surely they must be dry now, after a few hours of rest. All of his wounds had healed. He pulled on his hamakas, but not the boots, since he'd prefer to be barefoot in his private quarters. And plus, someone once told him they were cute, and he liked to see them instead of shoes. He pulled on the skintight yet soft shirt and tied his belt.

Comfortable and familiar, but quite old- ten years old.

Aqua said they belonged to someone named Terra...

...she was probably mistaken, but a little lingering doubt held its own in the back of his mind: _Something isn't matching up here._

He was a researcher, and as such, paid much attention to detail. Aqua _couldn't_ be mistaken. But he was Xehanort, from Radiant Garden, always. He'd never left that world until he became a Nobody. But this "Terra" that Aqua claimed he was a hero who wielded a Keyblade like she did.

But her honesty...such pure honesty, to the point that she though he was joking when he disproved her claims. He didn't joke, never. Maybe this "Terra" was a happy, cheerful fellow who loved a good laugh. Xehanort had been a cold, calculating person who hated to fool around, and so was Xemnas.

Most importantly, who _was_ Aqua in the first place? A Keyblade Master with a kind, caring disposition and unconditional love for her friends. He wanted nothing more than to end her, beat her, bloody her, wring her neck of its delicate beauty. But he couldn't. He wouldn't. She was his friend.

Xemnas sighed and shook his head to clear it, his long silvery hair slapping against his face. A chill breeze from the open windowpane swirled around him as he took a deep breath and proceeded with his morning stretches, touching his toes and then bending backwards to pop his spine. He felt more awake now.

Someone entered.

"Leave" was Xemnas' first command to them. He didn't want anyone to bother him at this time.

"Y-Yes, sir." Roxas?

Xemnas froze. "Actually, you may come in." He tried to make time for his true Keyblade wielder.

The door clicked softly shut behind Roxas. Xemnas turned to look at him. The young blonde seemed quite nervous, with his averted eyes and scuffling feet. He was so small, like...three others he had met. "Why have you come?" he calmly asked the Key.

"Saix wanted me to check on you," he explained.

Xemnas raised an eyebrow. "Why would I need to be checked on?" It'd only been a few hours- hadn't it?

Roxas took a deep breath. "...you've been out for three days, sir."

Xemnas felt the color drain from his face. Three days of that trance? How couldn't he remember it? He had been awake the whole time, staring at the wall in absolute silence. "Th-three days?"

Roxas nodded. "You looked terrible, all pale and all, just...staring."

"You came each day?" Xemnas breathed.

"Yes."

How was that possible? Xemnas could have sworn he was shocked. Roxas had came in twice before and he hadn't noticed. "I didn't..." He looked down at the young Nobody's feet.

"Ventus?"

Xemnas blinked and looked up. "Huh?"

"You said 'Ventus'," Roxas explained. He made a concerned face. "You don't remember?"

Xemnas frowned. "I don't." He realized he must be disturbing the Key with his foggy mind. "I apologize. I'm not feeling myself. You may leave." Xemnas turned to the dresser and approached it.

"Terra."

Xemnas spun on his thick heels to face Roxas. "Yes?"

Roxas seemed to crawl in his skin. "Er, Xemnas. There's something I wanted to give you."

"Okay." Xemnas walked over to Roxas, feeling slightly awkward because of their drastic height differences.

The younger Nobody glanced at his Superior's bare feet. "...not a big fan of shoes?"

Xemnas didn't feel like explaining, so he waited for Roxas to continue.

"Oh." The blonde pulled out three teardrop shaped shells that started out gold and turned a rich argent at the slightly serrated point. "These are Thalassa shells. Xion gave some to me for each day I was asleep, and something made me want to give some to you."

Xemnas reached out and gently took them in his large hand, gingerly rubbing his finger against one to feel the rough texture. "If you get five of these, you can make a good luck charm to bind you and your friends together." He looked away from the shells to Roxas and smiled. "Thank you."

Roxas nodded and left, shutting the door behind himself.

Xemnas listened to the Nobody's footsteps as they faded down the hall. He walked over to his dresser and opened the top drawer up. Within was a locked box. He removed the box and felt around the bottom of the drawer for the key. When he felt it, he used it to open his box. Inside was an orange stained-glass Wayfinder charm, a gold belt buckle that resembled both a Heartless and Nobody emblem, an old ice cream WINNER stick, a Keychain with a boulder token, and an old, faded photograph from an instant camera. He placed the shells inside and carefully removed the photograph.

It was of three people, all squeezing together to fit into the image; on the right was a spiky-haired blonde boy who could easily be mistaken for Roxas, looking kind of annoyed but smiling nonetheless, and holding a stick of sea-salt ice cream; on the left was Aqua, looking quite cheerful and holding a stick of light pink ice cream; and above them, holding them loosely in his arms and holding brown ice cream, was a brunette who was struggling to be in the picture but smiling broadly with his eyes closed. Xemnas flipped the picture over and read the caption on the back as he had many times before: _Aqua, Ven and I are enjoying ice cream at the Million Dreams festival. The guys I got to take this photo looked scared of us because we were laughing so hard. I fell on them after this was taken._

Xemnas frowned and quickly put the photo away, locked the box, and shut it away in his dresser. He hated how the only clue to his past was a few old items! What was the Million Dreams festival? There weren't many festivals in the Radiant Garden, and he certainly didn't recognize those people in the photo. Maybe he was the one who took it. But wouldn't he remember?

Maybe he wouldn't. He _was_ an amnesiac, after all.

But he couldn't ask Aqua about it. _It was forbidden._

Suddenly full of burning rage, he spun away from the dresser and shouted, "Just let me _ask her_!"

xxx

Aqua landed in the empty city. This time, it wasn't raining, so she felt more comfortable walking down the road without cover. It was still dreadfully dark out, and every once in a while she stepped in a puddle and saw little black creatures skittering through the darkness. Oddly enough, all of the signs along the streets were illuminated, yet the windows were dark, and Aqua saw no one around.

She rounded a corner into a very dark stretch of road, and something made her skin into gooseflesh, like the prickle of vigilant eyes or the touch of a cold, cold hand, so she ran through as fast as possible.

She soon reached a plaza full of flashing signs and dark buildings, but a single tower here stood out. It had an almost art-deco style to it, with neon arrows pointing to the entrance and fancy designs all around. What stood out the most to Aqua were the many screens on top, for they flashed images of Terra, Ven, Master Eraqus, Master Xehanort, Vanitas... The list could go on. But one image, playing back like a film, lingered longer.

It was Xemnas, looking sadly down at her, saying something lost to the ears of all, then turning and walking away. The image of Terra walking away like that, just the same, translucently overlaid Xemnas, showing how similar the two really were.

Aqua realized that the screens were showing her memories. As she walked away from the tower, she pondered why she would see that scene of Xemnas for so long like that. The reason lurked in her subconscious, something she had perceived but didn't know consciously yet. And this tormented her as she crossed the clear blue pathway that reached hundreds of feet over a monstrous, glowing chasm and connected the great castle to the city. Was it something about his face? Or the way his hand hesitated to let go of hers? There was a deeper meaning to it, and she knew.

The bottom of the castle was monstrous, yet silent. As Aqua crossed the long, weaving platform, nothing came to meet her with resistance, as they had in the city. But as she proceeded through the castle, she began to notice small, amorphous shapes that blended into the monochromatic walls creeping around, then disappearing when she turned to face them. It was as though everything here was alive and waiting for the opportunity to attack.

This subtle unease fledged to full-blown paranoia when she entered a high-ceilinged area with a dark blue platform suspended over a gaping chasm and saw a Ven-sized white creature quickly skitter away from her and fade in a burst of nothingness. _What was that? _Aqua didn't want to linger here for longer than necessary, so she ran right through to a walkway that snaked around the edge of the tower.

Here, she paused to gather her breath.

Maybe if she hadn't paused, the deaths of many and the failure of something _very_ important would never have happened, and she would have been slain by one of the dangers lurking here. But she did stop, and that made all the difference.

Aqua glanced at the wall and noticed a blue-white rope designed to blend in with the castle hanging down from above, the final yards coiled carefully on the pathway. She tugged it to make sure it was secure, then began climbing it, finding new reserves of strength in her sore arms and burning muscles in an effort to continue on and never let go. She soon reached the rope's source, an open windowpane in a large, ground to floor window. Struggling, she heaved herself in and rose to her feet.

In the room was a bed, a dresser with a black object on top and Xemnas, wearing the old clothes and no shoes. "Xemnas!" Aqua exclaimed, and as he was turning to face her, she embraced him, holding her head to his chest to hear his breathing. "You're alive!"

Xemnas let out a small laugh and patted her back with his big hand. "Indeed I am."

After a few seconds, Aqua let go. "What have you been doing all this time?" she asked curiously.

Xemnas averted his eyes to the floor. "...some strange form of unconsciousness," he muttered. "I just awoke an hour ago."

Aqua frowned. "Weird," she remarked.

"You?"

"Exploring the worlds," she said, then felt a cold knot of horror form in her stomach. What was on the dresser, again? She looked over and repressed her scream to a gasp.

There, just laying there and gathering dust, was _Master Xehanort's Keyblade_.

"Wh...Where did you get that?" Aqua asked, her voice faltering.

"Get what?" Xemnas followed her gaze. "Oh, that." He walked over and picked up the Keyblade and spun it around as though it were a toy. "I found this a few years ago, after I became Ansem the Wise's apprentice." He held onto the weapon for a second, then placed it in its spot again.

Aqua shook her head. This was all too confusing. He looked like Terra, but he had that wretched Keyblade. "Anyways, I have some questions."

"Go on," Xemnas said, clapping his hands together to get rid of the dust.

"What are you? You don't have a heart."

"I'm a Nobody," the silvernette said. "We all lost our hearts to darkness."

"What is this place?" Aqua asked, doing a gesture to indicate the castle.

"The Castle that Never Was," Xemnas explained, "the headquarters of my Organization of Nobodies."

"Thank you," Aqua said.

"Wait." Xemnas held up a hand, pointing one finger up to support his command of "wait". He went to the dresser, opened the top drawer, retrieved a small chest, then used a pewter skeleton key to open it up. He reached in and pulled out the orange Wayfinder charm Terra had received.

Aqua couldn't stop a squeal from escaping her lips. "You still have yours!" She fiddled around her pockets for her own, and when she found it, she held it up for Xemnas to see. This lit a candle of hope for her, renewed her thoughts that maybe he _was _Terra.

Xemnas' smile quickly faded. "I'm glad that you're happy to see this, but...who's is this?"

Aqua's tiny light of faith was drowned out by those words, and suddenly she felt empty, like something had tore out her intestines. "But...I made it for you, Terra..."

Xemnas' entire aura changed, suddenly frustrated and sad, annoyed and despairing. "You say I'm Terra," he whispered, slowly sinking to a sit on the bed. "Who is he?" He gently dropped the charm at the foot of his bed. "Why do I feel I know him? Who are you? Who is Ventus?" Big tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. "Who am I?" He buried his face in his hands and brought his knees to his chest.

Aqua sat down next to him and rubbed his back slowly. "Don't cry. Someone as strong as the earth shouldn't cry like that."

"But...Nobodies can't cry," Xemnas murmured. "Why am I...crying now?" He looked up at Aqua, brows furrowed and twisted into an expression of sorrow, black pupils large in the dark room, tears staining his face and hands and running down his bare arms.

He looked so unlike himself; weak, pathetic. Aqua didn't want to see him like that, so she reached under his shoulders and wrapped her arms around him, bringing him close so he could cry on her shoulder. And he did, and Aqua almost wanted to cry with him, remove the woes and sufferings from her heart and body. But she had to be strong for this grief-stricken Nobody, however little sense that made.

And after a few minutes of tender quiet, Xemnas gently extracted himself from Aqua's grasp. "I have one thing to ask," he said softly.

Aqua smiled sadly. "Anything at all."

"There's this place...the beach. Can you take me there? I've never been there and I've always wanted to go."

Aqua was surprised by his request. The beach? Well, it seemed expected, since Terra had always wanted to visit the beach.

"Of course," Aqua said, looking forward to it herself. "I'd love to."

"Thank you." Xemnas leaned against her and closed his eyes. Aqua sat patiently as he drifted into sleep, running her fingers through his long, silky hair and listening to his steady breathing. She gently laid him down in the bed and pulled the covers over him before she opened the door to leave the room and left with an unheard click.


	5. Chapter 5: Amicitia

Happy Xemnas day! Er, happy new years. I dedicate this particular chapter to Xemnas, in honor of this double holiday. I don't own any of these characters... R&R appreciated. Thank you!

* * *

Xigbar would have been less surprised if he saw the old coot Xehanort leaving Xemnas' room.

He would have fallen down- or up, who knew?- if he weren't already pressed low to his chest in a marine crawl, on the ceiling. He'd been listening in on Xemnas' conversation to Roxas, and heard Xemnas screaming at himself, and then Aqua had came around. She seemed so confident to march on out without an ounce of caution. She looked right, then left, and went left. Xigbar followed silently, keeping low to stay out of her field of vision. He thought it would be quite amusing to shoot the unaware girl down where she stood. The castle should stay clean of bugs.

Suddenly, Aqua froze. Xigbar's robe had shifted oddly and made a noise. The woman spun around, but Xigbar teleported out of her vision so she wouldn't see him. He continued to follow her, focused on eliminating her before she became a threat. He had to stay unknown, though, because he didn't feel like losing his good eye, and Aqua wouldn't hesitate to take it out.

She was most certainly a troublemaker.

xxx

Aqua couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed. Every step she took, every rounded corner, every dead-ending hallway, she felt as though there were vigilant eyes fixed on her back. No mistake, the castle was beautiful, with breathtaking views and exquisite architecture, but many things about this place made her uneasy.

Aqua came to a large door at the end of a long hallway. Overcome by curiosity, she pushed it open-

-and found herself in the open room with the blue platform.

"How in the world?" she asked herself, looking up through the glass roof at the heart-shaped moon. She'd been in an upper level just a moment before. Then the truth dawned on her: Someone, or something, was diverting her.

Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard the sound of boots hitting solid concrete. She spun around, chains of silvery light snaking forth from the tip of her Keyblade. The chains wound around the person's wrists and ankles, stopping him mid-run. The man shouted as he fell forward. Aqua tugged upward on her weapon like a fisherman with a catch, dragging the cloaked stranger towards her. She wound the excess chain around her right arm and removed the man's hood.

"Braig?"

The scarred assassin sneered. "Xigbar." He struggled against his bonds, to no avail. "You're smarter than I give you credit, Aqua."

Aqua rolled her eyes. "Flattering. Why were you following me?" she asked gruffly, harshly jarring the chains.

"Hey! Gently!" Xigbar shouted. "Why are you here in the first place?"

"Why would I tell _you_?" Aqua growled.

Xigbar sighed. "Because you value your life."

"You have no power right now, though." Aqua lifted the Nobody's chin with her left hand and unwound a short length of chain from her arm. Xigbar's eye widened as Aqua wrapped the chain around his neck, loose enough for him to breathe but tight enough for him to sense danger. "Now, why were you following me?"

Xigbar swallowed, every muscle in his hostage neck working at the simple motion, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. "Well, I was worried about the Superior, since you did come out of his room."

"You mean Xemnas?" Aqua asked to confirm this.

"How do you know him?" Xigbar asked with a surprised blink.

Aqua frowned and pulled the chain tight. "I'm asking the questions."

Xigbar gasped and choked a little, attempting vainly to claw the chain from his neck. Aqua felt an almost guilty chill run down her spine at the sight of his suffering.

"Hey! What's going on down there?"

Aqua released the chains and turned in the direction of the voice. A young man with spiky flame-red hair and pronounced hips was leaning against the wing-decorated of the platform above where Aqua stood. "Lea?" she called up to him.

Xigbar fell to his hands and knees as the chains burst apart into shards of light, panting. "Not a second too soon, flamesilocks!" he shouted breathlessly.

"Flamesilocks" laughed heartily and leapt down to their level, landing gracefully, legs bent, and rose to his full height. "I heard some fighting, and I thought it was intruders, but it's just an old friend."

Aqua smiled and hugged the redhead. "Been too long, Lea."

The redhead drew away from her, wagging a finger for emphasis. "Ah-ah-ah. The name's Axel. A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?"

"Yeah."

Xigbar crawled some distance away and teleported off to god-knows-where.

"He got away," Aqua said, almost disappointed.

Axel shrugged. "He's not worth it."

"You mind showing me around?" Aqua asked.

"Sorry, can't," Axel said, rubbing the back of his head. "Gotta go out, work for the boss man."

"Then I'll come with you," Aqua shrugged. "Can't be that bad."

"Sounds fun." Axel opened a dark corridor, and, bracing for it, Aqua went in with the redhead.

xxx

__

He is walking through the interior of a large vehicle, taking in all the sights of the hangar. Suddenly, chunks are sent flying from the floor near his feet. He nimbly dodges each blast and reaches the computer, slamming his fist onto the big, tempting button. Everything floats as though weightless. Even he doesn't escape this odd sensation, and swims through the atmosphere itself as though it were liquid. What a wonderful sensation.

He scowls and approaches the sobbing, groveling boy. 'You will suffer dearly for losing to her,' he spits irately, bringing the heel of his booted foot down onto the boy's hand. The raven-haired child screams in pain and begs for forgiveness, 'Please! I beg of you! I'm

so _sorry!' He laughs deeply, a sound satisfying to his ancient ears. 'You had you chance for _sorry_,' he growls. The boy raises his face to look at him, salty tears streaming down those cherubic features not even an angel could hope for. 'Don't hurt me!' the boy sobs, pupils large, eyes glistening in the half-light. 'Don't hurt you?' he cackles. 'I'm going to do much worse than hurt you!'_

xxx

Xemnas awoke with a sharp pain to his left side and his own pained yell. He sat up immediately, hand gripping his skull, and glanced around the room. He'd fallen from his bed while sleeping.

"Goddammit," he said, loud enough to satisfy the urge yet quiet enough to be courteous. Last time that happened was when he was Xehanort, still getting used to the limits of the bunk beds in the Radiant Castle. It didn't hurt as bad as then, but it was comparable. He stood up and shook his head, which did the opposite of his goals and caused a slight headache. Were these the days of misfortune for him?

And of course, he had a slight pain in his chest, right where his heart should be.

Xemnas growled and, foregoing his ten-year routine, wrestled on a coat and slid down the long rope. Where would he go? Roxas...and Xion. Something told him to go to them. But their chambers were in the left wing, in the opposite direction he was heading.

Xemnas ground his boots against the wall until he came to a stop, then took a deep breath and let go of the rope, using his own physical strength and speed to keep himself from falling to his doom. His legs burned from the exertion, and his lungs hurt from short breaths. He released the reserves of his power and felt the shadows flow out over his body, increasing his speed tenfold. When he reached the structure connecting the central tower and left wing together, he slowed down and slowly walked to the skylight.

Xemnas looked at his hands, which resembled wispy claws when wreathed in darkness. His golden eyes probably shone brightly in contrast to the disguising darkness that he allowed to cover himself. He kneeled down next to the window, then summoned an Aerial Blade in one taloned hand and brought it crashing through the glass. Some alarmed yells rang out from below as Xemnas dropped through the skylight, flexing his fingers.

Three Nobodies- Saix, Luxord, and Xaldin- ran out to greet him. They obviously thought he was a Heartless, because he reeked of darkness and had the appearance of one. Xemnas was about to speed past them when Saix leaped forward and-

-he was doubled over, panting and hissing in pain from the many cuts and bruises on his body. How? His cover of darkness dispersed and he fell to his knees. Someone here had used a Stop spell, apparently.

The pain in his chest gnawed stronger.

"Superior?" Xaldin stepped forward and helped Xemnas to his feet. "Why were you..."

"It's easier to cross this way," Xemnas interrupted him, wiping his fingers across a long cut on his face. "How long was that fight?"

"Three minutes, sire," Saix explained, dropping respectfully to one knee. "Forgive us."

Xemnas sighed and cast Curaga on himself, shuddering and groaning as his vertebrae and dislocated left arm popped into place and a possibly fractured tibia snapped together again. "You are forgiven. Now leave my presence."

"Yes, sire." The three powerful Nobodies disappeared into dark corridors.

Xemnas eventually found Roxas' room, and from what he could hear through the door, Xion was with him. That was nice. He knocked twice, strongly.

"Come in!" Roxas called.

Xemnas opened the door and stepped in. Two identical faces looked over at him, only the one who wore unconventional attire shimmered and turned into a young, pretty, raven-haired girl. Xion, the Replica, usually did take the form of Ven in his eyes.

The two variations of Sora looked concerned. "Is something the matter?" Roxas asked.

"No, not really." Averting his eyes, he gave an awkward little smile and shrugged and laughed nervously. "I just thought I'd...visit."

Xion smiled sympathetically at him. "Okay. Come, sit. We don't mind."

"Thank you." Xemnas sat down on the bed next to Xion, who could possibly be smaller than the already diminutive Roxas. He felt slightly awkward because of that. His cheeks burned a shade darker.

Xion must have noticed this, because she started giggling. "Are you nervous? Loosen up, we're easy." She ran her bare fingers gently along the bottom of Xemnas' chin. He instinctively raised it, savoring the feeling. How did she know that? Suddenly, the Replica brought her hand down to his neck, tickling the fine hairs with an almost pleasant sensation that made him want it to stop. He brought his chin defensively down to stop her.

Xion laughed. "Roxas, you try."

Xemnas frowned as Roxas reached forward and rubbed the back of his neck up and down. He couldn't resist, and found himself saying, "Yes, right there...just like that..." in a state of total rapture and enjoyment. But then, the Key betrayed him as Xion had and brought clever fingers under his arms, retracting his hand from the neck area. Xemnas yelped, totally helpless as the two younglings wrestled him down and attacked him mercilessly with tickling fingers and calming strokes. He was at the mercy of their amusement. It felt so good he didn't want it, and he soon found himself laughing so hard tears came out and begging them to stop, stop, stop, stop! But they chose not to, and soon he felt as though the two were taming him as ancient empires would tame captured rebels with torture and agony, making him but a tool, an animal, doomed to follow their every will.

But they stopped before they could succeed in wiping every free thought from his mind. He was on the floor, with them kneeling next to him, and he was smiling and laughing happily with them. He had nearly forgotten about the pain in his chest, but when he sat back on the bed with the others, he cried out as an intense needle of agony burst through his ribcage and pierced his left lung. He gripped his chest, half-expecting to find a gushing stab wound running through his body. But there wasn't. He moaned, restraining his cries by biting his lip and his eyes widened so much he felt like they would burst from their sockets.

When the agony peaked, Roxas touched his hand over Xemnas', right where the pain would be. It lessened gradually until it became a niggling twinge.

Xemnas looked up at the blonde boy. "Thank you."

Roxas shrugged. "No problem."

What they discussed was of no consequence, not to Roxas nor Xion nor Xemnas, but it was worthwhile talk between three intelligent individuals. They didn't really keep track of the time spent talking like this, just that eventually they began discussing ice cream.

"Personally, I love the strawberry blueberry swirl," Xion said. "It's great."

"Sea-salt is my first choice," Roxas said. "What about you, Xemnas?"

Xemnas shrugged. "Rock crunch."

Roxas raised an eyebrow. "Rock crunch?"

"What's that?" Xion asked.

"Hard to describe," Xemnas shrugged. "Kind of...bitter, yet sweet, and nutty. Very complex." He smacked his lips as he pondered the exact flavor of his favorite ice cream.

"We'll bring some back for you, if we can," Xion said.

Roxas nodded. "That's what friends do."

Xemnas blinked. Friends? "I'm your...friend?" he asked incredulously.

Xion smiled. "Of course you are. Why not?"

Xemnas frowned and looked down at his feet. "...because I can't always be there for you." Who else had he let down so easily?

"We're never truly apart," Roxas said almost cheerfully, "as long as we remember each other."

Xemnas felt a bittersweet sadness overcome him, and his fingers clenched with yearning. "As long as I remember..." An image of Aqua's face, smiling happily and laughing flowed into his mind. As long as he remembered her, they would never be apart.

Roxas and Xion smiled at him, so he gave a weak grin in return, so they wouldn't worry.

"We've gotta go now," Roxas said as he opened a dark corridor. "See you around." The two younglings disappeared into the darkness and were gone in an instant.

And while he was alone, Xemnas sat statue still, gazing sadly at his hands. "Aqua, Ven..."

Two tears fell to the floor, leaving dark stains where they disappeared.

xxx

Aqua laughed as she sat down at the clocktower, swinging her armored feet in the open air. Axel took a seat next to her, one leg sticking up near his face. He handed Aqua her ice cream and took a bite of his own.

"So, what brought you here?" he asked, voice muffled by the melting food in his mouth.

"Your leader," Aqua said.

Axel's jaw dropped open. "You were visiting _Xemnas_?"

Aqua shrugged. "Yeah. I'm taking him to the beach tomorrow.

"The _beach_?" Axel asked incredulously.

"Yeah." Aqua laughed a little and took big bite of her ice cream. Salty, yet sweet. She liked it.

Two people walked over and took places on the ledge. One glanced over at him. He was identical to Ven, yet not him. The other had dark black hair and cerulean eyes. The blonde blinked once, surprised, then rubbed his eyes. "Uh, hey Aqua," he said, confusion evident in his voice. "I-I'm Roxas, and this is Xion." He indicated the equally surprised girl next to him.

"Oh, hey," Aqua said, bewildered. Why would he look, sound, and act like Ven, and not really be him? "Nice to meet you."

They ate in silence for a bit, until Roxas allowed himself a small laugh.

"What's got you gigglin'?" Axel asked.

"Well, it's a long story," Roxas shrugged, "But we've got time. Well, Xemnas came to visit me and Xion, and we tickled him to death."

"Seriously?" Aqua and Axel asked at the same time. Terra had been ticklish.

"Oh, yeah, there was a little before that." Roxas sucked in a breath. "Saix wanted me to check on Xemnas again, so I did, and when I got up there, he was standing around in these weird clothes. No shoes, either. When I told him I was there to check up on him, he asked why, and I told him he was out for three days. He didn't know that, and he got quiet, and then he said 'Ventus' out of nowhere. He said I could leave, and for some reason I called him Terra, and he answered to that."

Aqua's eyes widened. He answered to "Terra"?

"Well, I gave him some Thallasa shells, and he told me a little about a charm you can make with five of them. And he was _smiling_ when he thanked me. And then I left."

"Weird," Axel said.

"Totally," Xion agreed.

Aqua sat silently, taking small bites of her ice cream and staring out into the crimson sunset. Xemnas was Terra. He _had_ to be. She didn't care how many times he denied it, that _had_ to be the truth. And if it wasn't, all was lost to her.

Four friends sat at the clocktower, laughing and talking over ice cream. And before they left, the bluenette who only came once bought a second bar for her absent companion.


	6. Chapter 6: Obsequium

Hello ^.^ Sorry if this is late, I was procrastinating finishing this... I'm sorry if the next chapter is late as well, because life just started up again. Believe me, if I could have these done ASAP, I would. R&R appreciated. Thank you.

Oh! Yeah. Some translation notes:

Aerial Blades= Ethereal Blades

* * *

After Roxas left, Xemnas waited for him, longing dearly for a chance to go with him. He wasn't supposed to leave the world, by orders of a rule created by himself and the original members. As Superior, he was expected to watch over the Castle and Kingdom Hearts. And if he didn't adhere, the other members had the right to strip him of all dignities, even membership, and throw him in the dungeons for the agreed-upon time.

Going to the beach was risky business.

Xemnas rose to his feet and slowly left the room, shutting the door behind himself. He sauntered down the hallway, glancing nonchalantly at the smashed skylight, which still carried the faint scent of shadow. He jumped in surprise when someone clapped a hand down on his shoulder.

"Hey, Xemnas," Xigbar cackled when Xemnas caught sight of him. "You really shook us up with that little darkness stunt."

Xemnas glared at the Sniper. "Why are you here?" he asked, not wanting to deal with the pest.

"Aqua."

Xemnas raised an eyebrow. "What about Aqua?"

"I just saw her," Xigbar said. "She did this." He pointed at his neck. Red marks where metal had dug into soft flesh ringed his neck like a collar.

"Now tell me," Xemnas muttered. "Who is this Aqua you speak of?" Better to act ignorant than be caught. "Is this your imaginary friend being blamed for suicidal actions?"

Xigbar growled. "Forget it." He continued walking down the hall, a step behind Xemnas.

Good thing he was, or Xemnas would have never seen Aqua again as a friend.

Suddenly, every muscle in his body seized up, refusing to move. He grunted, perspiration rolling down his face. The room suddenly felt much colder. He tried to move, but it was as though he had been transformed into a living, breathing statue of flesh with bones and joints wrought in iron.

Xigbar stepped forward. "Hey. You okay?"

Xemnas tried to open his mouth and order Xigbar to _run_, but he couldn't. The ache in his chest grew. He wanted to know who was doing this to him, but not even conscious thought was in his control. Some insidious, malignant will wove orders into his mind, telling him to destroy anyone who inhibited his progress.

"Who...are you..." managed to escape his lips, but his voice was thin and strained.

Xigbar looked at him with concern.

"Who am I?" his own voice, his own throat answered. "More like, _who are you_?" He smiled sinisterly and laughed honestly. "Who have I always been?"

The dark thoughts began to overpower his true conscience, trying to force him into a cage of submission and hold him as prisoner, prisoner to his own will, a tool for his darker half's device. But he resisted it and twitched his fingers, turning his head jerkily towards Xigbar. "P..please," he forced himself to say, "stop me..."

"Don't listen to him!" Xemnas shouted, being forced farther out of control. "He's a fool, and always will be!" He clenched his fists.

But Xemnas took control of himself again. "Please, Xigbar, don't listen to Xehanort!" But then he frowned and growled and his true self lost the fight, feeling his own presence slipping back into the shadows, his spirit bound by chains of darkness, stripped of any personality other than that of a slave to this superior being's every whim.

Was this what it felt like to succumb? Being tied up and fettered and naked in a cold, hard cell? Being beaten and laughed at by your master, but never doing a thing against them because they dominated you? Xemnas felt all of these things as he surrendered his body and mind to him.

No thoughts of Xemnas' creation entered his mind as he pelted down the hallway, not really hearing the familiar boy's voice calling out to him.

xxx

Roxas had only entered the hallway because he heard voices, but he didn't expect to see what he saw.

"Xemnas?"

The silvernette dove past him, leaning forward as he ran to maximize his speed. Something about his sickening dark aura made Roxas want to chase and capture him, and he decided to do so when Xigbar ran past, commanding Xemnas to stop. Roxas soon learned that his Superior was _very_, very strong and fast and durable, because even after he was dying of fatigue and he was gasping and coughing for air, the Nobody kept going without breaking a sweat.

But eventually they came to a dead end, and Xemnas had to stop. When he did, he spun around and summoned a row of Aerial Blades, waiting for the chance to fire. Roxas more or less fell to a stop, scrambling up to his hands and knees to catch his breath. Xigbar skidded to a stop next to him, not nearly as tired but shaking with each shallow breath he drew.

Xemnas stood straight, hand extended, ready to give a flick of his wrist and bombard his fellow Nobodies, his face twisted into an express of anger and sadism, like he would burst out laughing diabolically at any second. His eyes shone with the light of malice, but something about him begged for help, or maybe it despaired its fate as a harbinger of destruction.

Roxas, however in the world, knew that this wasn't the Xemnas he knew as a friend, that this was an entity of animosity, of darkness.

Xemnas laughed demonically and fired the Blades. Xigbar teleported just in time, but Roxas had to brace himself against the force as he blocked them, sending them flying in opposite directions and digging into the walls.

Xigbar reappeared and brought the heel of his hand crashing into the back of Xemnas' skull. The superior Nobody's eyes rolled upward and he crumpled to the ground.

Roxas rose. "Why was he...running...away like that?" he asked between pants as he approached.

"I don't know. Something about Xehanort." Xigbar lifted Xemnas effortlessly over his shoulder. "Corridor?"

Roxas nodded and opened a dark corridor with a sweep of his hand. "Here." He walked through with Xigbar, glancing curiously at the Sniper's confused face. "What's wrong?" he asked casually.

Xigbar shrugged, careful not to drop Xemnas with the simple movement. "He tried to take my eye out before he started running..." He fell silent, and Roxas thought that even if he asked another question, the older Nobody wouldn't answer.

In Xemnas' room, Xigbar all but threw the superior Nobody onto the bed and left without a word. Roxas lingered for a while though, sitting and resting as he healed himself. Once, in the peripheries of his vision, he saw a young brunette sleeping with troubled dreams. When he looked up, the mysterious man wasn't there, just Xemnas.

I must be tired, Roxas thought, then went off to his room to rest.

xxx

Aqua didn't bother to land in the city this time. She flew in low, lower than the roof of the Memory Skyscraper, then soared upwards. She dismissed her armor, still in flight, and appreciated the beautiful look of the rooftops below her, silvery steel in the shower of moonlight. It was a very liberating feeling, almost as though she had cut the invisible strings binding her to gravity.

But the monstrous white castle loomed above her still, and she didn't think it would be possible to fly higher than one of its shorter peaks. She ascended to the winding pathway on which she had discovered the rope and dropped off her Rider, transforming it once again into her Keyblade. The rope hung tantalizing near by, but the pathway's termination point interested her more. Maybe it was the fact that she didn't know what was down there, or maybe it was that she saw a person running up that way.

"Wait!" she called after them, then leaped over the wall separating her from them. She ran along the path and into the castle, getting a view of the blue platform below. But the person was already passing through the next door. Aqua ran in there and into an eerie, somber silence.

This room was dark grey and slanted oddly. There were twelve panels on the floor, each with a door like shape above then. Aqua looked over them and noticed that each panel had a different picture, mostly of some kind of weapon. Some were red, some blue. But many were red. Aqua made the mistake of touching a red panel. A cold vibrations tingled up her arm like a thousand frozen needles. She screamed and removed it, shaking her arm out to expel the last of the feeling. That cold feeling...like the one you get when a loved one dies…

She instantly knew that panel represented someone, and that person was dead. The room was a graveyard. But nobody seemed to care that people had died. This angered Aqua. The room was a list for some unfeeling coroner, some person who numbly said _I'm sorry for your loss _over and over again, and had ceased to really mean it, just saying those words because it was part of the daily routine. There was no care that an entire life had wiped from the face of the worlds.

Aqua felt rage boil up inside her, and acting on an impulse, she drew her Keyblade and brought it crashing into the panel at her feet. She swung the weapon into the doorways, bringing them crashing down into each other with violent force and smashing the panels below. Each panel marked red was cracked, smashed, and destroyed by her own two hands, with rage as blind as the walls that bore witness to her senseless actions, and when she was finished with the arduous, painful travail, she fell to her knees, panting.

Did that man mean to show her this tragedy? If he did, he was not worth being investigated. Aqua rose to her feet, both guilty and satisfied by her task, and ran down the passage to the rope, which she climbed and rolled into Xemnas' room, breathing heavily.

She lay on the floor for a while, catching her breath and strength, then stood up to greet Xemnas. At first glance, it seemed like he hadn't moved, but he was fully dressed and on top of the covers.

For the first time, Aqua noticed a door on the left side of the room. She opened it up and saw a large, luxurious bathroom with many fancy care products and a Jacuzzi bathtub. Going in, she shut the door behind herself. She hadn't taken a shower in three days, and her hair felt greasy and her body felt hot and smelly. Wouldn't hurt. She undid the ties on her corset and let it drop to the floor. After that, she stripped her clothing off, piece by piece, until she was bare and ready to bathe. She turned up the hit water until the room was steamy, then got in.

The shower was painfully difficult to make quick, with such a nice tub and delicious smelling soaps, but she managed to do it in reasonable time. She stepped out of the shower and quickly dried herself off, seizing a comb to make sure her hair didn't look disgusting. There were some long silver hairs caught in the teeth of the brush, but Aqua used it anyway, amused by the sight of his argent with her blue.

She quickly tied her corset and pulled on her shorts, jacket, and stockings. Her shoes were more of a challenge. Somehow, she managed to squeeze her feet in. Feeling refreshed, she walked back out into the main room.

To the left of the bathroom door was a bookcase with many thick, dusty volumes carefully placed on it. On the second shelf from the top, there were three with succeeding years labeled on the sides. Aqua picked up the first one and wiped the dust from the spine. She flipped open the book and browsed the pages.

It was a photo album full of pictures taken by an instant camera, each with its own caption. The same six people appeared in all of them, doing different things. But a few in particular caught Aqua's attention. These were pictures containing the photographer himself; a young man with fluffy white hair who closely resembled Xemnas; Xehanort. One of these was a picture of Xehanort, smiling, with his arm wrapped around a frightened-looking blonde (Even). The caption read: _Even had looked everywhere except for the cupboard I was hiding in. Thank Ienzo for the photo_. Another was more amusing; Xehanort and Braig looked very irritated with their hair tied up in braids and decorated with bows. This caption said: _Ienzo showed us a particularly frightening talent. I didn't appreciate it. Aeleus took the photo_.

Aqua flipped through the rest of the pages, smiling warmly and occasionally laughing at a particularly funny picture. But something really interesting was written on the back cover, in smooth yet scratchy semi-cursive writing;

_Ever since my beginning here, these six people have been the best people I could hope for. When I first awoke, I didn't know anything about myself save my name. These six have helped me get around the handicap of having no memories prior to this year. And my master, Ansem the Wise, has promised to help me find a way to regain my memories. So I want to dedicate this collection to my new memories, here, in the Radiant Castle. Thank you._

Aqua smiled, finding that very touching. But then she noticed some more writing below.

_Aqua, wherever you are, whoever you are, please be safe. I don't want anything terrible to happen to you again, and I swear, if you get yourself killed, I will never forgive you for letting your friends, Ventus and I, down._

There were some wrinkled spots where dried tears had fallen and smudged the ink. Next to the second note was drawn a Paopu Fruit.

Aqua didn't know what to think. This message to her, even if she only received it now, was...beautiful, deep, meaningful. Terra had wrote it, and Terra had cried for her. Terra, not Xehanort. The one who cared.

Aqua gently placed the album next to the others and sat on the bed next to Xemnas. His soft facial features looked even more peaceful when still. She gently stroked his hair, moving it out of his closed eyes. He had beautiful hair. She shifted so she was level with him and looked at his muscular neck. He was so perfect. She leaned her head against his, breathing in his scent, and closed her eyes as she slowly buried her face in the area of his neck between ear and collarbone.

Aqua felt very comfortable, very safe, like as long as she was here, with Xemnas, nothing in this world and all others could do her any harm.

And that and when she heard a small moan of awakening.


	7. Chapter 7: Tenor

Hey. First Xemnas-centric chapter ^^ Sorry this took so long. Well, erm, it's getting closer to the end. R&R appreciated. Thank you.

* * *

____

Darkness.

Sweet, blissful darkness.

Everything around him was absolute darkness, darkness with no substance, with no direction or depth. He couldn't tell if he was floating or standing, but that ceased to mean anything to him. The darkness bound him in sable chains, it seeped into his soul, it pulsed through his veins and stripped him of self-awareness and identity. He despised it, he feared it, and he wanted it to release him and free him from this nightmare; yet he cherished it, he needed it, he reveled in its emptiness and torture.

But soon, a small orb of light hovered before him. He reached forward and gently took the light in his hands. It was small enough to fit nicely into the cup his palms formed. It wasn't very bright, and it flickered underneath the massive cover of darkness, but it never went out, and it illuminated his face and body. He knew in an instant that this was

his_ light, and that it would never disappear under this darkness, whosever it was._

And with that resolution, he held his light to his chest and welcomed it into his body. He heard something scream and cry in agony, and the darkness grew brighter and brighter until it blinded him. And then...

xxx

Xemnas slowly opened his eyes and groaned. The room was out of focus, two of everything. His head spun. He closed his eyes again, then opened them. He lifted his head with stiff effort and finally noticed the woman laying next to him.

"Aqua?" Xemnas said, dropping his head to the pillow. "Is it...tomorrow? Are we going to the beach?"

"Not yet," Aqua smiled and stroked her fingers along the back of his head.

Xemnas enjoyed this soothing motion, allowing her to comfort the ache at the back of his skull... _Wait. _"Were you sleeping in this bed...with me?" he asked, trying to assess the situation.

Aqua blushed. "Not quite, but I understand your discomfort." She sat up and graciously helped Xemnas sit up. "So...I heard you visited Roxas."

"Yes," Xemnas confirmed. "And they tried to kill me."

Aqua grinned. "Like this?" She brought her hand around to caress Xemnas' gut, but he stopped her with a gentle hand around her wrist.

"Exactly so," he said, satisfied by her laughter. His head still hurt, and every noise made it spike, but he didn't really mind, especially since it would be ridiculous to complain over such minor pain when he's felt agony _much_, much worse.

"So, what happened to you?" Aqua asked, carefully sliding her hand through his to free it.

Xemnas blinked, thinking back. He was leaving Roxas' room and walking down the hall, then...nothing. "Strange," he murmured. "I don't remember."

Aqua shrugged. "There's a lot you don't remember." She smiled smugly, in a way that Xemnas couldn't tell if she was joking or meant it.

"If only you knew how right you were," he said forlornly, looking away from her fading smile.

"Why?" Aqua asked, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

Xemnas shrugged away her attempted comfort. "I don't remember anything about my past before ten years ago," he explained. "All I remember is waking up in the Radiant Castle, and before that, nothing."

"Oh," Aqua mumbled. "But the memories you have of the Castle are goods one, though."

"Precious few," Xemnas muttered, wondering how she would know that. "The rest are dark and unforgiving."

"Then what is this?" Aqua briefly left him, then returned with his first photo album from Radiant Garden. Most of the dust wad missing, so Aqua had looked at it before.

"Get the third one," Xemnas told her, and watched pensively as she set the first down and retrieved the third. He gently took it from her hands and searched for the first picture of a test subject, which he had been required to take as to document their studies. He found it, in the middle of an agonized convulsion, eyes glowing bright golden and darkness coating the flesh of its bare arms and legs.

Aqua grimaced and shivered, reading the caption. "You...did this to people?"

Xemnas nodded. "And like a virus, darkness poisoned every one of us." He quickly skipped past a few more pages of tormented subjects in various stages of degeneration or death and found one of himself, taken by Braig in the latter's final human moments. "We all fell victim, one by one, but I lasted the longest, and cast off my body by my own choice."

He still felt something in his chest when he saw that picture, the faded one of himself, amber eyes shining luminously; streaks of self-inflicted scratches from inhuman talons covering his face and exposed skin; tears dribbling down his face and sinking into his torn lab coat; the coat ripped, clawed and shredded by Heartless, fellow apprentices, and himself, the white fabric a rotten red color from contaminated blood. But despite this, in his scarred and swarthy hands he held an orange charm made of stained glass, which he held as dearly as life itself for reasons he was unable to comprehend.

And below the photo, on a stained piece of paper, was written, _Goodbye._

Xemnas sighed and looked over at Aqua. The bluenette looked horrified, transfixed on the dreadfully sad picture, recognition and grief swirling through her eyes like a raging torrent of oil and water. Xemnas quickly shut the dreadful portfolio and embraced her, wanting to assure her and remove her suffering with words he couldn't seem to get past his lips. Before, he had wanted her to see that his life wasn't as happy as she thought, but now he wanted her to forget those images and focus on the present, on who he was _now._

Aqua leaned into him and gripped his jacket tight in her fists, tugging it in opposite directions and pressing her elbows into the soft flesh between his ribs and hips as she let out a violent sob. He could feel an odd quality about her tears, like they weren't truly meant for him specifically, like they were meant for some old friend for whom she had not yet mourned. But Xemnas allowed her to cry, for he felt as though she were compensating for his impassiveness, his inability to care for anyone or anything, by crying like that. And it felt...nice, to Xemnas, to know that someone actually cared about him; there had been no tears on the day he had carved his own heart from his chest and felt the blank, blissful feeling of death.

After a while, the crying ceased, but they just held each other like that, not really wanting or caring to move from that tender position, Aqua gripping tight the fabric just beneath Xemnas' hood, her arms tight beneath his shoulders, and Xemnas burying his face into the crook of Aqua's neck, arms gently placed around her as though she were a stuffed animal. Xemnas felt tired, no, peaceful like this, even though Aqua seemed to be full of anguish.

And finally, the words came to him.

"I'm here now, Aqua."

"I'm so glad." Aqua let go of him and flopped down on the bed, clearly exhausted.

"You can sleep there if you like," Xemnas said. "I can sleep somewhere else." He entered his bottom drawer and took out some blankets to pad the hard floor where he would be willing to sleep.

"Hold on." Aqua sat up and produced a Rock Crunch ice cream bar. "For you."

Xemnas, incredulous, rushed over and unwrapped it. "How did you know?"

Aqua smiled. "Would you believe a lucky guess?"

"No, but thank you any way." Xemnas gratefully took a large bite and was accosted by many entwined flavors of caramel, nut, and other bittersweet tastes. He mashed it slowly against the roof of his mouth with his tongue, savoring every moment of this wondrous treat. Oh, how he had forgotten the simple joy of a bar of Rock Crunch ice cream.

Aqua watched with a broad grin as he finished the bar, moaning with delight and rolling his eyes back and forth with each delicious bite. When he finished, he tossed the stick to the side and yawned. Ice cream always made him feel tired, and he had liked to eat it before going to sleep

Aqua pulled herself up in the covers as Xemnas pulled a thin blanket over himself, and willed sleep upon him. Sleep didn't come easily, because his dreams were often plagued by blood, death, pain, and an unnamable despair.

xxx

_The dreams were of Aqua._

Aqua smiling; Aqua laughing; Aqua eating ice cream; Aqua and Ven; Aqua thinking; Aqua chatting with him; Aqua smacking him in the back of the head; Aqua giving Ven a tousle of hair; Aqua paying attention to the Master; Aqua fighting; Aqua looking concerned; Aqua regarding him with horror and resentment; Aqua fearfully forcing away his hand from her throat; Aqua slamming her weapon into his flesh...

Aqua, reaching out from the darkness, his own hand reaching out to meet hers.

xxx

Xemnas awoke to what he knew as nighttime.

He couldn't sleep anymore. He tried desperately to remember his dream, but it slipped into blurred obscurity like all others. He couldn't remember his dreams, as he couldn't remember any images from the Chamber of Repose, but he felt this one meant something more than the others did. They all meant something, he knew, but this one had much, much more.

He kicked the covers off himself and walked to the window. Harsh blasts of air whistled past his ears and beat the long end of his coat violently around, and thunder answered his belief that a storm was brewing in the skies. He breathed in deeply, savoring the scent of the cool, crisp air before the rain fell, then slid down the face of the Castle on the rope. He reached Naught's Skyway and tossed the remaining end of his rope over the edge. Lightning exploded overhead like a malfunctioning power line and thunder rumbled down from a heavenly blacksmith's forgery, and by the time Xemnas reached the bottom of the rope, rain was cascading down from the clouds with killing intent.

Xemnas flicked on his hood and zipped the collar of his jacket so that his face was shrouded in shadows, then proceeded on his walk through the city.

The sprawling black metropolis seemed oddly vacant for a city of its size, with little or no living inhabitants. He had only seen live residents once or twice, and each time only in the peripheries of his vision, and then they would pull the shades down or disappear into the back alleys, looted trashcans tipped over and spilled. The Organization had a bad reputation here, known as thieves of hearts and purveyors of darkness and death.

And this is why it was so interesting when Xemnas found someone.

An inhabitant was laying on its side in the middle or the road, dark rain washing its blood into the black concrete. As Xemnas approached, he saw that there was a gaping tear in its chest, in the left side, from which issued no more blood than was already blending among the fallen water and most likely soiling his boots. He gently nudged it with his foot, then again. The cadaver flipped onto its back, eyes peeled open and out. What in the world lurked these streets that would steal a heart _and_ tear out its victim's eyes? He stepped over the corpse and continued on his way, now paranoid with the prickling feeling of being watched.

As he walked down the street, the feeling that he'd been missing an important detail drifted into his mind. What had it been about the corpse?

And when he entered a square and heard a quiet rumbling growl he knew. There was nothing in the cadaver's chest.

As whatever was stalking him charged, he gathered energy of nothingness in his feet and did a skillful midair leaping kick that brought his foot crashing into...Saix's face? He landed on his hands and sprung to his feet, and the Berserker went reeling into a wall, then slid to a sitting position on the ground.

Xemnas ran over to his second-in-command and shook his shoulders. He had a large red mark where his skin had broken against his skull. Saix shook his head and put a hand to his wound. "Th...thank you, Superior. It was happening again."

Xemnas took notice of the blood covering the Diviner's mouth area and bare hands. "I hope you didn't eat the intestines out of the dead body I just saw."

Saix sighed. "Indeed." He groaned and rubbed his head. "You could've been a little gentler, though."

Xemnas helped Saix stand up. "I was being too careful." He let go of the younger Nobody and began walking off.

"Wait."

Xemnas stopped. "Yes?"

Saix approached. "Escort."

"Oh."

Saix opened a dark corridor and grabbed Xemnas' arm as they walked in. His grip was harsh and ungentle, and when they reached the end of the corridor, right by Xemnas' room, he forced his elder out. "Stay." With that he left.

Xemnas sighed. The Diviner was overprotective and austere. He opened the door to his room quietly and glanced at the sleeping Aqua. He tried to recall his forgotten dream again, with was fading even farther from his memory. By morning, he wouldn't even remember having a dream.

He settled back into his makeshift bed and pulled the blanket over himself. Maybe he would find out who he really was.

Aqua was going to free him.


	8. Chapter 8: Aequor

I'm sorry for the long wait! It's just that I've been having a hard time lately, and my internet was down last Thursday, and my motivation was dead! The only thing that got me back on track was a headache from writing The Chi Project and a stinking slap in the face! So, if you're still here, I really appreciate it. R&R appreciated. Thank you for not giving up on me.

* * *

Aqua woke the next morning with a start. Today was the day.

She shot out of Xemnas' bed and ran over to the man himself, jumping over him with feet together multiple times. "Get up! Get up! Get up!"

Xemnas mumbled something and rubbed his eyes as he awoke, then grinned broadly when he realized what she meant. He threw the covers off himself and rose to his feet, stretching like Terra always had. But when he rose, he sighed. "Before we go, I need to say something."

"Fire away."

"I'm not allowed to leave this world and if I'm caught, the other members have the right to seize control from me for six months."

Aqua let of a frustrated humph. "Well, that complicates things." She shrugged. "But we'll find a way."

"This'll help." Xemnas stripped off his jacket and boots. But his loose hamakas were too conspicuous.

"Do you have any other pants?" Aqua asked.

"Yes, but these are much more comfortable," Xemnas explained.

Aqua sighed. "Since you refuse to cooperate..." She ran over and quickly undid the belt of Xemnas' pants and pulled them off. Thank god for underwear. "If you don't have shorts, I'll make some."

Xemnas blushed a little. "I don't." He entered a drawer and retrieved a pair of loose, coal grey pants.

Aqua took them. "You have some type of knife?"

"Here." Xemnas handed her a long, shining, amazingly sharp dagger, which she used to slice off everything just below the knee.

"Put these on."

Xemnas shrugged and pulled them on, giving his half-bare legs a curious look. "I can't remember the last time..."

Aqua smiled. "Looks good on you."

"I'll solve another problem." Suddenly, Xemnas was in two places at once, only in one place he was wearing a dark coat.

Aqua glanced to the side and saw the real Xemnas leaning against the wall. "Impressive," she commented.

"Nil clone," the Nobody explained. "Only one difference."

Aqua nodded and prepared her Keyblade Rider outside the open window. As she summoned her armor, she asked if her companion had any armor himself.

"None capable of traveling," he said.

Aqua sighed. "C'mon. I'll have to live with this weirdness."

They stepped onto the Rider, Xemnas behind Aqua, and they flew off. Aqua noticed how the Nobody stared straight ahead like he was used to this kind of travel. It was eerily quiet in the Lanes, so Aqua decided to make conversation. "You have any dreams?"

"No," Xemnas muttered. "You?"

"It was weird," Aqua said. "I was alone in a big, dark room, and suddenly tons of Unversed appeared everywhere. I was alone, and I was losing the battle, and suddenly...Terra, he saved me. And then he looked at me, smiled, and said 'I'm right here.'" Aqua shifted her position a little. "I wonder what that could have meant..."

"It means that your friends will always be there to get you through every trial." Xemnas. "You'll always be connected, if you just remember them."

_Or maybe it means that he really is right here. _Aqua flew down to her destination and landed in a small alley where they wouldn't be noticed. Xemnas looked around, squinting in the bright sunlight of the cloudless blue sky as Aqua dismissed her armor and Keyblade Rider. She led him out into the beachside town, realizing now as he gingerly walked down the hot street that he was barefoot and uncomfortable. He glanced incredulously around.

Aqua smiled and laughed. "You look like a two-year-old."

Xemnas shrugged. "I wish had shoes right now." The cement was hot, and he did a little dance of shifting from foot to foot, trying to avoid third-degree burns.

"We'll get you some sandals." Aqua found a small clothing store and went in.

The clerk looked up from his Reader's Digest at the sound of the bell. "No shoes, no shirt, no service."

Xemnas sighed and patted Aqua's shoulder. "You look around, see if you like anything." With that, he walked out.

Aqua looked around at the things inside and found some simple flip-flop sandals in Terra's size. Terra and Xemnas had strangely identical feet, so she knew they would fit. She searched through the bathing suit area and found some grey swim trunks that looked like they would fit Xemnas. After that, she saw a blue bikini with embroidered flower designs on it. Aqua took all this to the dressing room and tried the bikini on. She looked great, so she took it off and went to the register to pay for the stuff. When she was leaving, she didn't notice the person outside until the flash of a camera went off.

Aqua spun around and looked at Xemnas, who was holding an instant camera and shaking out a recently printed picture. "Please tell me that isn't stolen," she said.

Xemnas shook his head. "I bought this with my own munny," he explained. "It's a nice one, too."

Aqua shrugged and laughed. "And you didn't need shoes?"

"Nope." Xemnas pocketed the photo. "The clerk said it was okay when I asked."

Aqua pulled out the shoes. "Here."

Xemnas slid them on and they fit, of course. To bonus, they looked good on him. He gave a smug grin. "Race you to the pier." He took off, surprisingly fast for someone in flip-flops who was also holding a camera.

"No fair!" Aqua ran after him, struggling to keep a hold of her bags. She dived past a few irritated rollerbladers and dashed by two lovers who were staring into each other's eyes. Xemnas was way ahead of her on an open stretch of sidewalk. Aqua sidled past a group of pedestrians and continued after him at top speed. A few shirtless studs wolf-whistled at her as she sped past.

And then they were at the pier. Xemnas stood patiently at the post, taking deep breaths as he waited. Aqua collided with him, knocking him into the pillar. He gently pushed her off and they both went to the small fault that divided the town from the beach and sat on it.

A salty ocean breeze blew past and tossed Xemnas' long silver hair dramatically back like moonlit waves on a smooth sea. Aqua found her eyes wandering to the unruly spikes of hair on her companion's head, which were twitching in the wind. She imagined his entire graceful mane in a rich, earthy brown.

And of course, right then, her stomach growled.

She hadn't eaten in a day.

Xemnas turned his head and looked curiously at her, eyebrow raised. Aqua blushed and simpered. "I presume that...you're hungry," he figured.

Aqua shrugged. "Yeah. Starving." She stood up and helped Xemnas up, then went to the nearby sidewalk restaurant and took an empty table. Aqua picked up her menu and flipped through the choices, searching for the one she wanted. Xemnas didn't, however.

"What's wrong?" Aqua asked.

Xemnas sighed. "I'm not hungry."

Aqua raised an eyebrow. "How can you not be hungry? You haven't eaten in four days."

"I don't get hungry," Xemnas muttered, tracing his finger along a line in the marble tabletop. "Haven't eaten in six years."

A waiter came around, so Aqua ordered for herself and Xemnas. As the man left, she noticed the blank look in Xemnas' eyes. "Earth to Xemmy."

Xemnas blinked and looked up at Aqua. "Yes?" He sat up. "What's this Xemmy thing?"

Aqua shrugged. "You were zoning out."

"I was checking on my clone," Xemnas explained. "Our cover isn't blown yet."

"Ah." Aqua smirked. "Can you tell him I say hi?"

Xemnas nodded and closed his eyes, a faint grin crossing his face. "He says he doesn't talk to strangers."

Aqua scoffed. "Ask him if he feels this." Without explaining, she slapped Xemnas across the face, turning his entire head to the right.

It took a second for Xemnas to respond and cry out in pain. "We agree that _Xehanort_ felt that!" He rubbed his cheek where her ungentle hand had connected. "Ow..."

Aqua laughed and rubbed the top of his head. "Sorry, Xehanort."

"Sorry makes it all better." Xemnas massaged his cheek. "Please, gently."

"Okay." Aqua slowly rubbed the back of Xemnas' neck.

"That's not what I meant, but keep with that..." The silvernette leaned into her affection and closed his eyes, clearly enjoying the sensation. Terra had always liked that as well. Aqua found her eyes wandering to his muscular arms, and she yelped when her hand accidentally caressed the more ticklish area of his neck.

Xemnas squeaked and knocked her hand away. "You traitor," he joked, wagging a finger at her.

"If I'm a traitor, then what does that make you?" Aqua asked.

Xemnas smirked. "I'm a hostage."

Aqua laughed and Xemnas smiled, but when the laugh ended his smile faded and he was zoning out again. He leaned his head against the palm of his hand and seemed to stare through the table and into bottomless oblivion.

Aqua sighed. "Wake up, Terra."

Xemnas, surprisingly, blinked and sat up. "You called me Terra."

Aqua nodded. "Yeah. It sort of happened."

"Braig sometimes calls me Terra," Xemnas said, putting a hand to his chin and looking away. "He teases me about strange stuff."

"Does he ever call you 'Master Xehanort'?" Aqua asked.

One silver eyebrow rose. "As a matter of fact, yes. How did you know that?"

"Goes a long way back," Aqua explained.

Someone arrived with the food. Aqua had ordered a salad, and for Xemnas she had got a nicely sized steak.

Aqua laughed at Xemnas' curious expression. "For you. Just try it."

Xemnas shrugged and sliced a piece with his knife. Using the same utensil, he stuck it in his mouth and instantly his eyes lit up. He devoured the rest, probably hurting himself when the pieces were too big. "Aqua, how I've forgotten how good that is!"

Aqua laughed at his enthusiasm and dug into her own food. When she was finished, the flash of a camera went off. She crossed her arms as Xemnas shook out a new photo.

When the check came around, Aqua paid and she and Xemnas ran down to the waterside. They stood on the shore, water at their ankles. Aqua smiled at her companion and ran away, water splashing noisily around her feet. She was aware of Xemnas running after her. They kept at this for a while, getting looks from swimmers and sun-tanners and all other forms of beachgoers. And then Aqua was skidding through an open stretch of sand, tiny particles of rock caking her bare feet, and she arrived at a changing area.

Panting, Xemnas came to a stop behind her, holding shoes and camera in hands. He gave a small grin, then dropped the sandals and snapped a photo of Aqua. Aqua rolled her eyes and snatched the camera off his neck, taking a photo of the silvernette as he was shaking out the previous one. Xemnas smiled and they both crowded in for a third picture.

Aqua pulled Xemnas' new bathing suit out and forced it into the Nobody's tan arms. "Go change. Do it." She waited until he disappeared, then she went into the woman's area and changed for herself. She put the camera and bagged items in a locker and rushed-tackled-hugged Xemnas, who was still wearing his shirt but looking great in the swimsuit.

"I'm not carrying you," Xemnas joked, forcing Aqua off. "My clothes are in a locker."

Aqua nodded. "Let's go to the actual water." She and Xemnas walked down the path. People ran past, excited children and shirtless surfers and crazy teenagers, but the two heroes just walked. Aqua was content with walking, and soon they were in the water at waist level.

Aqua looked over her shoulder at Xemnas. "How is it?"

Xemnas looked at her and smiled a true Terra smile. "Wonderful."

Aqua smiled and splashed some water at Xemnas, who wasn't prepared and got splashed. He responded by splashing a large wave at her. She dodged narrowly and kicked a torrent of water at him when she flipped onto her back. She looked up and found him nowhere in sight. Something came out the water behind her, and she spun around and thrust a wave at none other than Xemnas.

Aqua laughed. "I win."

Xemnas smiled and did something she'd never heard him do before. He laughed. "I suppose."

Just then, a monstrous wave slammed into the unsuspecting twosome. Aqua was swept forward by a roaring wall of water that filled her ears and tried to force its way through her tightly shut lips. Someone locked their hand around her wrist and held her against the current. The undertow kicked inane pulled her toward this unseen savior.

Aqua coughed and opened her eyes. She had been blown into Xemnas' arms.

Her savior's face turned a shade darker. "...this is awkward," he muttered.

Aqua simpered. "I agree." Wet through and through, she backed slowly away from Xemnas, who all but supported this, and led the way back to shore, her back occasionally getting pushed by the waves that weren't yet done with her. They sat down on the hot sand, looking out over the shimmering water.

And as they sat silently, Aqua's hand found its way onto Xemnas', and it squeezed her fingers between his. Two hands intertwined and soon they were staring into each other's eyes, brilliant sky blue meeting shimmering amber. So apart, yet so perfect... How could this familiar, graceful man _not_ be Terra? It was hard to believe, and as the gazing continued, Aqua believed it even less. Sincere, caring eyes for a corrupted look, corrupted by a hateful, corrupted person who Aqua hoped was finally gone. Without shadowing darkness, this body and soul were pure. But without darkness, did he have light?

xxx

Sunsets on beaches were undeniably beautiful.

Aqua and Xemnas were again walking through the water. Xemnas had stripped off his shirt, which was now slung over a muscular shoulder. Aqua had managed to squeeze her shoes off, freeing her pale, delicate feet. They were smiling and laughing, not a care in the world. Many a thing had come to pass that had strengthened their bond of friendship, and now Aqua's laugh faded to a quiet smile and Xemnas' smile faded altogether, and his head hung low.

"What's wrong?" Aqua asked, stopping their romp.

Xemnas sighed and gazed towards the colorful streaked-canvas sunset. "I want a heart, like yours again." Aqua felt his hand come to rest upon her breast. "Hearts have anger and rage, sorrow and misery."

"Hearts also have love, and happiness," Aqua said.

"I don't exist without a heart," the Nobody whispered into the burning sky. "I want to get myself and all others who suffer like this true life."

"Xemnas," Aqua sighed, placing her hand on Xemnas', "are you sure you have no heart?"

Xemnas took her hand and placed it on his broad, muscular chest. Nothing beat there; nothing pumped the warmth of life through his empty body. "I am sure, Aqua."

Aqua held her hand there as they stood side by side in the cool ocean, gazing into the apathetic sunset that gazed silently back at them. The waves rolled calmly in, breaking against the shore with a quiet, soothing sound that whispered caring and kindness. Aqua wanted to show this nothing she cared, even if he had no heart to feel with. She moved her hand to his neck and pulled him close, close enough to press her lips to his cheek.

She closed her eyes and was aware of his muscles loosening, every anxiety slipping from her mind. And when she pulled gingerly away, she saw a young man with brown hair and closed eyes, his mouth open as he inhaled warm, enraptured breaths. And when Aqua closed her eyes and touched her lips to his cheek, the second kiss felt just like Terra.


	9. Chapter 9: Praelium

Finaally! Things are really heating up here. I flew through this, just for you! Sorry, but you got your taste of happiness last chapter. If happy is what you want, Reunite as a whole isn't for you. R&R appreciated. Thank you for not sueing.

* * *

Xemnas sighed and jumped off the Rider, landing gracefully on his bare feet. The clone was waiting on his bed, and he cast the empty thing into oblivion with his mind. He pulled off the cut pants and put on his hamakas, enjoying the loose, airy feel.

As he tucked the ends into his boots, Aqua climbed off the Rider as well. A curious warmth had come over him when the girl had kissed him, and had not gone away, even now.

He tried thinking back to the Radiant Castle, trying to remember those happy things he had photographs of. But none came. His memories were deteriorating every waking moment. What other things of life had he forgotten? And what of his past?

He rose and pulled on his coat, turning to face Aqua. "I have to thank you," he said.

Aqua nodded. "You're welcome."

Xemnas sighed and walked to the dresser, lifting the dusty Keyblade in his gloved hands. "I don't know who I am anymore..." He looked over it, the strange axe shape, the demonic goblin face... "Ever since I met you, I've felt different..." The blade was a mockery of a weapon born of light. "Two ways about everything. I don't have an identity anymore. Who am I?"

Aqua blinked and looked sadly at the floor. "I can't help but feel this was meant to happen..."

Hands shaking, Xemnas hesitantly set down the dark Keyblade and opened the box's drawer. "You say I'm Terra. Is that who I was?" He placed the new photographs in the box, beneath the old one.

"I can't answer that," Aqua whispered. "Terra...he was possessed...and when I last saw him, he..." Aqua ended with a sigh. "I don't know."

Xemnas shut the box and the drawer and wrapped his fingers around the Keyblade, squeezing the grip. "I don't want to hurt you," he whispered, fighting the dark impulses being born within him. "You can have my bed again. I'm going somewhere else."

"I might not come back tonight." Aqua was still wearing her armor, and now she removed her helmet, shining blue hair shimmering brilliantly in the moonlight. Now was his chance.

Xemnas picked up the Keyblade and held it at the ready. "R...r..." Reflexively, not of his own power, he threw the weapon at Aqua, hoping to get her between the eyes and smash her skull or break her neck with a direct hit to the throat. But it hit a supporting beam of his window frames and embedded itself there.

Aqua looked at the weapon with horror, then at Xemnas. "W-Why?" she asked, eyes wide and voice trembling.

Xemnas took a deep breath and clenched his fists. "Get away, Aqua! You're not safe here! _Go!"_

Aqua seemed surprised, but then she nodded, put her helmet on, and rode off on her Rider.

Xemnas growled. "I _hate_ you!" He tugged the Keyblade from the post and tossed the accursed thing out the window and into the yawning chasm below the Castle. "Get out of me!" He tugged at his silver hair, grinding his teeth, face contorting with rage. He backed up against the window, fighting with the demon within, and then his foot found empty air.

xxx

The Sentiment stood silently at the edge of the cliff, pondering Aqua's visit. It had scented Xehanort when Aqua came by. But...where had he been? It was never wrong about these things.

Aqua had been with Xehanort? Why would she do that? Xehanort was evil, he...what had he done? The Sentiment didn't remember anymore. It only knew that he was a bad man and he had to be killed.

The Sentiment turned its head and watched at Aqua flew down and landed in the badlands below. It scented darkness and twisted emptiness from below. Xehanort! The scent emanated from Aqua. Suddenly, the woman shimmered and began to resemble a young man with silver hair.

The Sentiment knew it.

xxx

"Terra! Come out here!" Aqua paced around the empty field, searching for the armor that was usually present. Where could it possibly be? "Terra!"

She heard the sound of rock crunching behind her and spun around. The Sentiment stood at the ready, Keyblade drawn and embedded into the earth. The world seemed to go quiet when the two made eye contact.

"Thank goodness I found you," Aqua said, turning to face it fully. "I was beginning to worry."

Something was definitely wrong. _"Why would you...worry about...me... Xehanort...?" _The armor gripped its Keyblade and slowly pulled it from the stone.

"What do you-" Aqua's eyes widened with terror upon realization. The Sentiment had scented Xemnas on her. It thought she was Xehanort. "Terra, please, don't- I-I'm not Xehanort-"

_"Lies!" _The armor created a monstrous Keyblade over its head and allowed it to rest on its shoulders. The guard spiraled and created a large orb of energy within. Ultima Cannon! Aqua could feel the monstrous strength pulsing from the orb as it charged. She drew Rainstorm and leaped away just as the deadly blast launched past her, exploding against a rock face.

And then the armor was upon her. Aqua dodged narrowly as it charged past her, Gaia Bane forward and seeking blood. She screamed and slid under another attack as it was being dealt, whacking her Keyblade into the legs of the Sentiment. It didn't do much other than jar her arm, and this time she was forced to block with her weapon. She wasn't used to this method, and it was hideously painful when the two weapons collided with deadly force. Aqua jumped backwards and shot a blast of fire at her opponent. It didn't have much affect other than buying her some time.

The Sentiment transformed Gaia Bane into a bow and fired projectiles at her. She cartwheeled out of the way as each one hit a wall and disappeared. But she wasn't ready when the armor came out behind her and slammed the weapon into her side. The blow knocked the air from her and sent her skidding across the rock face. Before she could blink, it was upon her again, stabbing the Keyblade downward towards her chest. She rolled away as it crashed down, breaking rock, and rolled away again, again, again, again. When she was on her back again, she fired another flame and slid out between its legs. Her arms were abraded, and it hurt when she brought Rainstorm crashing into the Sentiment's back. Paint and rust scraped off as she slid the weapon over the screaming metal, then shot a firaga point blank. The armor was sent flying, landing on its feet and spinning around to face her.

Aqua quickly healed herself as the Sentiment transformed Gaia Bane Ito a long whip. It cracked the lash at her, breaking the stone at her feet. She yelped and jumped back, but the whip caught her ankle in midair, and she was thrown up and about with violent force. She crashed back down onto the ground, breath bursting explosively from her lungs, ribs snapping and cracking. The Sentiment ran forward. Aqua seized hold of Gaia Bane's large teeth and used the armor's ascending swing to reach her feet, slamming the heel of her shoe into the chest of the steel. She stabbed Rainstorm into the vulnerable elbow of the Sentiment while she was upside down, cracking the gauntlet and splintering hard metal. The armor staggered back and Aqua fell to the ground on her back, gasping in pain when her broken ribcage absorbed the shock.

She quickly rose and blasted a Thundaga Shot at the Sentiment, sending it flying into the air. But to her horror, it converted the Keyblade into two and sped right towards her. Aqua cartwheeled away, but her arm was slashed as the Sentiment swiped at her and crashed to the ground. She pushed off her hands into a midair spin and fired three magic bullets at it, blowing a weapon right out of its grip. Blood dribbled down her arm and stung her skin. The Sentiment was behind her, leaping forward with Keyblade a giant drill.

Aqua pulled the Wayfinder from her pocket as she formed a barrier around herself. The drill crashed into the barrier, splintering it. Aqua pressed the charm to her chest as she fell towards the ground. A warm white energy surrounded her and her wounds and pain slowly disappeared, and before she hit the ground, she caught herself with one hand and pushed off into a standing position.

The Sentiment came back down, but now she was confident. She swung Rainstorm in one hand and brought it crashing into the armor's back. It went flying and crashed to the ground. Aqua pushed off one foot and hit it three times in an acrobatic spinning attack, then flipped upside down, slashing it again before gliding smoothly around behind it, legs bent, and hitting it there times once again. The Sentiment spun around and attempted to strike her, but she put a barrier between herself and it, then slid out and struck again. Power coursed through her arms and she gathered energy into her Keyblade as she glided away, firing a blue beam of some magical force at the Sentiment, blasting it even farther away.

And then the armor was rushing her again, blue aura surrounding it as it seemed to teleport around her, smashing and slashing wildly. Even her newfound powers couldn't touch it, and she dodged narrowly around each attack, and then the Sentiment appeared in on placed, gear shapes grinding the air. Aqua was caught and battered by the powerful spinning cogs, then blown away by the second set. She couldn't even catch herself, just hit the rock once, then twice, and slide to a stop. She felt the outside power slide from her grip and her own power dominated.

The Sentiment lifted her up by the throat, gauntlet digging into the soft flesh of her delicate neck. She could still breathe, but she doubted this vengeful spirit would allow that much longer. Her legs kicked futilely against the armor's cold body, and she found herself begging for mercy, for forgiveness, for a chance to live and see her friends once more.

"_THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS TODAY!"_ The Sentiment dug its hand into her throat.

With a scream no more than a strained, pathetic gag, Aqua raised her arm and blasted a Mega Flare point blank into the Sentiment's mask, condemning them both to suffering and death.


	10. Chapter 10: Terra

Well, I cried writing this (a first, y'know), and now I feel sick. This is the final chapter, but stick around for the epilogue. It's as important to the story as the cutscenes after Final Episode were important to Birth by Sleep. R&R appreciated, especially now as this wonderful story draws to a close... Thank you for staying with Reunite: Revisited to the very end.

* * *

Xemnas moaned and pushed himself up. He was in...a cell? He rubbed his head and coughed up something hot and sticky. Everywhere hurt, especially his head, which was throbbing as the world spun around him and gradually focused into perspective.

"I've let a lot of these little escapades slide, but I can't let _this_ drop."

"B...Xigbar?" Xemnas blinked and looked through the wide bars of the prison. Xigbar was scowling down at him, arms crossed. "H...how did you know?" He groaned and grabbed his head. It hurt.

Xigbar scoffed. "Fakes don't answer to 'Terra'." He slammed the side of his fist into one of the bars, rattling the cell itself and harming Xemnas' agonized head. "I knew Aqua was corrupting you. If any of us see her again, we are going to kill her."

Cold, liquid despair pulsed through Xemnas' gut and empty veins. "Please, no! Don't kill her!" He stood up and staggered painfully to the cell bars, grabbing hold of them to support his weakened body. "Don't do it," he mumbled.

"You don't care about her," Xigbar growled, leaning towards his former superior. "You have no heart. You don't even know who she is, do you?"

"I know enough," Xemnas snarled through the pain. "She's a Keyblade Master, she's the most beautiful person I've ever met, and I know she sees the light in me..." He trailed off with a coughing fit, sticky liquid he identified as blood bursting from his lungs and pouring down his face as he collapsed to his knees. "I'm bleeding... What did you do?"

Xigbar let out a small huff of exasperation. "You're not bleeding. Maybe it's memories. But you _did_ fall from your window."

Xemnas rose shakily to his feet. His legs and ribs were probably fractured, as well as his skull. His hand dove into his pocket and retrieved the orange Wayfinder charm of stained glass. It was glowing faintly. He instantly knew something was wrong. "...let me go to her, Xigbar. She's in danger."

"Let her die," Xigbar snapped.

Xemnas gripped the bars tighter, energy of nothingness heating the material. "You don't understand. I'm asking you as a friend, please!"

"No!" Xigbar spun on him. "Let her die!"

Xemnas growled and allowed energy to pulse forth like crackling crimson lightning, flapping the long ends of his coat and seeming to darken the area. _"I will make you regret your very existence if you do not let me free! Do it NOW, Braig!"_

Xigbar looked terrified as her opened the prison and allowed the prisoner to stagger out and enter a dark corridor to god-knows-where.

xxx

Aqua stood slowly, body shaking and bleeding and in agony. Each breath she gasped in was expelled with an agonized fit of coughing. Her vision fell in and out of focus and, unable to stand, fell to her knees again.

Her back was severely scraped, her right arm burned in the extreme recoil of the point blank Mega Flare. Her bones felt broken, her ribcage shattered, and blood dribbled down her face, into her already blurred eyes, and she spat blood from her mouth, as well as dirt and bile. She'd never been so hurt in her life. Was the Sentiment's wrath that great?

The smoke gradually cleared and revealed the condition the armor was in. Its left horn was twisted and bent beyond repair, the right one wrenched completely off. Its visor was smashed in and spikes of torn armor were melted and melting. The left arm was ripped off, an entire gaping hole in its left side was left in the aftermath. Its legs were bent and broken, and it stumbled and staggered where it stood.

_"Xe..ha..nort..."_ It hobbled forward, Gaia Bane still in hand, and Aqua watched in horror as its horn bent into place, the visor healed, the dents and nicks popped and aligned, and the legs bent themselves properly. Nothing that had been torn off replaced itself, but these repairs were enough to be beneficial. _"Xeha..."_

Aqua closed her eyes and felt tears run down her face. I'm so sorry, Terra, Ven, Aqua lamented silently. _I think this is the end._

_Forgive me._

_I'm sorry, Xemnas._

Every last grief and sorrow and despair fell silently to the dusty earth as she gasped in her final breaths. Every sorrow for her Master, for her friends, for her family, for her home. She'd tried to be strong by hiding her sorrows away, but now it all emerged.

_Goodbye, Terra._

As the scythe of a battered Death swooped down for her vulnerable throat, someone came forward and grabbed the deadly weapon with their own hand. Hearing the disgusting thud and feeling an arm wrap around her, Aqua slowly opened her eyes.

The last thing she saw before she passed into unconsciousness was Xemnas, eyes flooded with ire, forcing the teeth of Gaia Bane away from her body.

xxx

Xemnas held back the weapon and gently laid the unconscious Aqua upon the ground. His aching arm shook from the effort as he forced the strong blow away and quickly healed himself. He looked into the visor of his opponent and felt a searing hot pain through his skull.

Thousands of images, sounds, names, faces, and sensations entered his mind. The entire world seemed to shake as he remembered every thought and every detail of his past in a single moment. He didn't need to ask who he was now.

He was Terra.

He deserved death.

Xemnas sighed and looked away from the shocked armor. He condemned his friends to death. He deserved, if not the same, worse.

His armor made a strange gasp. _"Who...are you?"_

"I am you and your enemy," Xemnas said, looking back at the armor. "The one you have so gravely wounded is my friend, Aqua." _She's hurt because of me..._ "She suffers for your insane lust for vengeance."

_"I don't...understand..."_ The armor lifted its blade and slashed at him. Xemnas summoned a weapon in his hand and blocked the monstrous blow with ease. The weight of this weapon was so familiar. With each parried strike and violent reprisal, the motions became known and a plan was devised. But when Xemnas let his guard down, the armor lunged and thrust the blunt tip of its Keyblade into his sternum. He was sent flying, and he hooked his hand on the rough stone ground, shredding the fingers of his glove wide open. He skidded to a stop and took a deep breath. The armor seemed as unsure as he was.

Xemnas began to wonder whether he should just sacrifice himself to the vindictive Sentiment and repent for his crimes. No. Aqua, and Ven, they would never forgive him. He rose to his feet and pushed off one foot, forcing the armor down with his empty hand. It forced him off and cracked Gaia Bane into his side. He yelled out and, powering himself with nothingness, kicked the weapon out of his opponent's hand. He brought his own blade crashing into the armor, many times in rapid succession, jarring his entire frame but enduring as he got sick, sweet revenge against this hollow nonexistent thing of anger and hate, less existent than Nobodies and with even less purpose. Each blow dented and bashed and broke and beat the pointless object into submission; not the submission of the possessed to a possessor, but the submission of the defeated to a victor.

And at one final blow, the armor staggered backward and fell to its knees. _"I couldn't...why..."_ In a rush of howling wind, the Sentiment disappeared from view.

Xemnas groaned and dropped his weapon to the ground. He looked over at Aqua, her body turned away from him, positioned as though she had been knocked away in the heat of battle. He ran over to her and lifted her upper body off the ground; her head slumped back, revealing a bruised and scratched neck. Those were choking wounds... Xemnas placed an abraded hand to his friends' chest and cast a powerful Cure spell. He watched as her burns, scratches, slashes, bruises, breaks, and other injuries healed rapidly, leaving perfect beauty in its wake. A gasp of breath signaled the woman's waking, and he found himself smiling sadly when her shining blue eyes opened and looked up at him.

She must have seen something in his eyes. "Welcome back, Terra," Aqua said sadly, small tears dripping down her smiling face.

Xemnas frowned and looked away. "How can you still accept me as a friend, after all I've done?" he asked despondently. "Knowing who I am?"

"Nothing changes that you're my friend," Aqua said, sitting up. "I can look past everything you've done and see who you really are, in your eyes."

"These eyes aren't mine," he sighed.

"They are," Aqua protested. "Xehanort only changed them."

"How can I be your friend," Xemnas whispered, "in this corrupted body?"

"All I see is you, Terra."

Xemnas was surprised when Aqua embraced him, arms wrapped tightly around his body. His eyes slowly closed with peace and small tears fell from his eyes. Aqua had forgiven him, after all he had done to hurt her. Choking, beating, maiming, heartbreak... It all meant nothing to her. And even now, she still knew who he was. Was this something of friendship? Did Ven feel the same way?

At that moment, Xemnas remembered love and happiness and hope, and how warm it felt.

Aqua let go of him and they both rose, staring into each other's eyes. Xemnas only saw sincerity and caring there, in the depth of that sky blue ocean. And he felt sad. "I'm sick of living like this. I don't care about those other one. I'll create a new world, where we, you and Ven and I, can truly live again. Together."

Aqua smiled, face wet. "How wonderful."

"Aqua?" Xemnas whispered.

"Yes?" Blue met gold.

"I love you." Before Aqua could say a word, he brought his lips to hers, supporting her head with two hands, one on her skull, the other between her shoulders. She leaned into it, arms around his lower back, and both their eyes closed. No tender hug, no small touch of lips, no words could show the pure love poured into this kiss, and it seemed so natural, like it was meant to be; a girl with a heart more pure than many others, and a Nobody whose heart was felt through another. Love was undiscriminating.

And Xemnas felt love.

They pulled apart, and Xemnas realized he was crying. "You have to go back," he said dolefully. "They will kill you if you stay."

Aqua nodded, eyes shining with latent grief.

Hands intertwined, they walked forward through the darkness and onto a shadowy road. Here, they stopped. Xemnas looked down at Aqua, chest tight, and pulled the Wayfinder from his pocket. "I...I can't be connected to you anymore."

Aqua's expression changed to one of horror and grief. "Why?" she asked, voice thick with sorrow.

"I can't lead the others if I remember you..." Xemnas placed the beloved charm into her hand and closed her fingers around it. "I'm afraid this is...goodbye." Tears fell from his eyes to Aqua's hand and the sentimental charm. "I promise, I will come for you when my dream is realized."

Painfully, hesitantly, he walked away from her, but he didn't know that this would be their last meeting for all of his life.

_Seeing him walk away was horrible... We had just reunited... And now, he had to forget me..._

Aqua tried to smile, tried to think this was for the best, but when her loved one disappeared into darkness, violent sobs racked her body, and she fell to the ground, screaming in sorrow.

Was I not enough for you? Don't ever hurt my friends!


	11. Epilogue

_**•~Epilogue~•**_

Feelings of Nothing

Xigbar looked up when Xemnas entered from a dark corridor, battered and bruised. He rose to greet him. "Hey, y'know that sneaking out thing? Never happened."

"Get away from me" was the only response, said in a voice raw with grief. As Xigbar backed away, the superior Nobody summoned a dark Keyblade. "You're lucky I'm not going to kill you." He plunged the tip of the weapon into his own chest and with it forgot everything of his past and Aqua. His face was wet when he fell unconscious.

**Grief was strange in his eyes**

Sora watched, shocked, as the powerful Nobody, reaching out towards him, faded away into the oblivion he had so willingly sought. To keep his and Riku's spirits up, he smiled and said, "We did it!"

Riku sighed and glanced around as hundreds of Dusks appeared from the very fabric of this alternate dimension of perpetual nothing. "Not yet."

And even as Sora drew his Keyblade and prepared for another battle, he couldn't shake the deep-rooted sadness in his heart. That man he had just killed... Something about him had seemed intimately familiar.

And for once, it took Sora some effort to hide the terrible sadness bursting forth inside him.

**Shattered dreams of life anew**

Aqua stepped onto the black sand of the strange, dimly lit beach. There was a man in a simple, black coat sitting on a pile of large stones. Hopeful, she approached him. Knowing what Xemnas had told her, she asked, "Who are you? How did you get here?"

The man looked at her. "Why hello, my dear."

Any hope Aqua had was shot down by the man's voice. She knew, by those four words, that Xemnas had failed. He wasn't coming back. She would never see her friends again.

Even if she would never see them again, someone was going to save her. She didn't know who, but she knew he would come in time.

Sora was going to free her.


End file.
